Titan May Cry
by LanceSennin
Summary: After Vergil accepts his humanity, he meets a woman named Anne Yeager and eventually comes to love her. After another tragedy breaks out, Dante takes their newborn child to Shiganshina after sustaining a fatal wound and leaves little Nero in the doorstep of Carla Yeager and her husband. They adopt the child as their own. Watch how Eren grows to be a legend like his family. RATED M
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry or any of its characters…**_

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A long time ago, there was a war between the human world and the underworld. While different tribes and races on Earth had made enemies with each other, the demon world was a bigger threat than anything they could have imagined. Humanity seemed to have lost all signs of hope when the almighty **MUNDUS**, the king of the underworld, invaded the human world with his army of demons.

But despite all this, there existed one small beam of light in the dark future humanity faced. One demon took up arms against his own kind and fought for the humans. His name was **SPARDA**, the greatest warrior in the underworld and whose power is said to be equal to Mundus. He alone battled against the armies of the underworld and pushed them back into their domain.

Sparda used the blood of a virgin warrior to seal the gates of the underworld, before sealing Mundus away on Mallet island at the cost of his powers. For more than a thousand years, Sparda walked the Earth as a protector of humanity and became a legend, until he met a woman who would change his life and give him everlasting happiness. Her name was **EVA**, and from the moment he met her, Sparda ultimately fell for her. In turn, Eva accepted and saw the goodness in him.

A few years later, Sparda and Eva married and lived happily together. Eva soon gave birth to twins, namely Vergil and Dante. Sparda became happy that he experienced what it felt like being a human but nothing lasts forever.

Seven years after Vergil and Dante were born, Sparda and his family were attacked by demons sent by Mundus, who noticed the seal was weakening, in order to kill the traitor and his family. This event lead to the death of Eva as she was protecting her sons while Sparda fought them off, but was too late to save her. Sparda was eventually able to get his sons to safety but was gravely injured as a result, further weakening him.

Both Vergil and Dante who witnessed the death of their mother swore vengeance on that day. Meanwhile, Sparda realized that his time was running out, trained the twin brothers with both his legendary weapons for the next seven years. He gave the **YAMATO**, an O-shaped katana that can cut through dimensions to Vergil while he gave the **REBELLION**, a broadsword capable of awakening demonic power to Dante. Eventually, Sparda spent his final moments with his sons. He gave them one half of their mother's amulet each, as a final memento and told them to forge their own paths in life.

After Sparda had passed, they buried him beside their mother in Redgrave and began to hunt for the demons responsible for the deaths of their parents. A year after their father's death, at the age of fifteen Vergil began to change after he and Dante left together. He began to absorb the power from demons he killed which led to him craving for more.

The brothers had a falling out when Dante found out what Vergil wished to attain as they fought over their ideals. They fought as if they were lifelong enemies, taking twisted pleasure in the feeling of fighting each other. The victor was Vergil, who unknowingly awakened Dante's **Devil Trigger** after getting stabbed with his own sword. Before Vergil could deliver the killing blow, Dante fought back with his new form but was not strong enough to defeat hiss brother.

After that battle, both brothers went their separate ways until they met again four years later, at the age of nineteen. The brothers reunited and joined forces with the Walking Arsenal **LADY **to stop her father Arkham who wanted to use their blood and amulets to gain Sparda's power and awaken the Temen-ni-gru, a tower that served as a portal to the demon world.

Vergil and Dante defeated Arkham and stopped his plans, before having one more battle in the tower in which Dante came out as the victor, but lost his brother as he fell into the underworld. After the battle, Dante started his business **DEVIL MAY CRY** to hunt demons and protect others.

Four years later, Dante was approached by the Lightning Devil **TRISH **who told him that the sealed Mundus was beginning to break out on Mallet island. Dante accepted the job and went to the island in order to stop Mundus. It was there that he ran into a servant of Mundus named **NELO ANGELO **and fought him as he tried to stop Dante from resealing Mundus, but ultimately failed.

After defeating Nelo Angelo, Dante realized it was his brother whom he was fighting all along. Nelo Angelo was then sent back to the underworld for his failure. Dante finally came face-to-face with Mundus after learning that Trish was working for him and used her as a hostage to defeat the son of Sparda.

Dante freed Trish and used the amulet he got from Nelo Angelo to awaken the Force Edge from its sealed state, becoming his father's greatest weapon, the **DEVIL SWORD SPARDA** and using it to battle Mundus. Dante defeated Mundus and sealed him again. Mundus' defeat led to Vergil becoming free of his control, but was still trapped in the underworld, so he waited patiently for a portal back to the human world. Trish joined Dante in his business, becoming his partner in devil hunting along with Lady.

Three years later, Dante was called on again to stop a madman by the name of **ARIUS** who wanted to open a portal to the demon world and absorb the power of a demon that rivaled Mundus' own. Its name was **ARGOSAX**. Dante joined forces with **LUCIA**, a woman with a complicated origin who wanted to kill Argosax.

Arius was successful in gathering the items required to open the portal and was waiting for the day of an eclipse to complete the ritual. After opening the portal, he was defeated by Dante who realized that the dimensional gap cannot be closed until Argosax was also defeated. Dante and Lucia argued on who would go fight Argosax which led to a coin toss where Dante won. Lucia later figured out it was a double-headed coin.

Unknown to them, Vergil sensed the portal and used it to escape the underworld while Dante was still fighting Argosax as the gap closed. A few months later, Dante got out and got contacted by Vergil, who wanted to meet up and discuss what happened.

Vergil told Dante that after he fell into the underworld, he immediately ran into Mundus who defeated and corrupted him into becoming Nelo Angelo. Dante finally realized that while Vergil went power hungry, all he wanted was to be able to protect what he cared about and that he never wanted to feel helpless again when their mother died.

Both brothers went their separate ways again with Dante returning to his job as a devil hunter, while also growing closer to his partner, Lady. Vergil turned down an offer from Dante to work with him in Devil May Cry as he wanted to find a new way of life. Two years after Vergil left, he met a woman in his travels named **ANNE YEAGER** in the continent of Marley and they became friends, which later turned into love as they got together a year after their first meeting.

Vergil later told Anne about his history and what he had done. Anne was shocked and a little bit afraid but pushed it aside since her people didn't know better. She pushed those thoughts aside and accepted Vergil for who he was, and she never judged him for the choices he made.

The two moved to a comfortable place in Redgrave so that Vergil can visit his mother anytime he wanted to. They received letters from Anne's family in Marley but they made sure to answer all of them back. Two years later, Anne gave birth to a child that bore his father's white hair and his mother's green eyes. Vergil sensed a large amount of demonic power manifesting in the child's arm, but he pushed that aside for now. They named him Nero.

Dante made sure to visit his brother, dropping by to tease the once power-hungry man about getting a girlfriend and settling down every once in a while. It irritated Vergil but made Anne laugh all the time. He also made sure to 'remind' his brother that Uncle D would teach Nero how to appreciate pizza and strawberry sundae, leading to Vergil chasing Dante around many times with an intent to kill. Dante, at this point, had gotten together with Lady and were expecting their first child in a few months. But then again, nothing lasts forever.

Vergil began feeling traces of his corruption as Nelo Angelo coming back to him, making him fear for the safety of Anne and his child. He tried suppressing in his mind, but Mundus' power was beginning to overwhelm. Vergil couldn't even get proper sleep at night due to how his nightmares were getting worse.

It reached the point where Vergil quickly contacted Dante to help him out before it was too late. While he waited, Vergil distanced himself from Anne and Nero, much to her confusion. He simply told her that everything would turn out fine.

Finally, the corruption became strong enough once more to have Vergil switch with Nelo Angelo in his place, as a split personality of sorts. Nelo Angelo told him in his mind that the war isn't over yet and that Mundus will return to kill every being that bore the blood of Sparda. Vergil internally pleaded for Dante to come and help help him but it was too late. Under Nelo Angelo's control, he slaughtered Anne in their home and was about to go for Nero next, but Vergil managed to fight out and regain control to save his son.

Dante arrived at Vergil's home to see his brother crying over the loss of his lover while blaming himself for what happened. Dante became angry with himself too, he should've arrived here sooner to help his family. Vergil then handed Nero to Dante after his cries, entrusting his son to his brother as he created a portal to the underworld with the Yamato, determined to avenge Anne and kill Mundus for what he's done to his family. Before leaving though, he told Dante that if he doesn't come back, the Yamato will be sealed in Nero's unawakened arm to keep it safe from demons and to give the child something to defend himself when he grows up.

Dante tried to stop Vergil but was unsuccessful, and he could only fulfill what his brother wanted him to do. He went back to his agency, only to see it in total ruin. He quickly set Nero aside and checked everywhere for Lady and Trish, tears already in his eyes as he feared the worst.

He could only cry out in grief when he saw Lady on the ground, killed by slitting her throat while Trish had a massive hole through her stomach, which she couldn't heal from. Lady was due to give birth just a month from now. Dante was then caught off guard when he was stabbed with the Devil Sword Sparda from behind, piercing his heart as he noticed a bunch of demons invading the place.

Just when the demons were closing in on little Nero next, Dante transformed into his **Devil Trigger **and laid waste to all of them. After that small altercation he was wondering why he hasn't healed until now, but then he figured out that it was his father's weapon that pierced through him, which gave him his red flag.

Dante needed to quickly find a place where Nero can stay safe from the demons as he remembered a place that Annie, Vergil's lover, once told them about. It was a small island to the west of Marley called Eldia, which had three gigantic walls protecting all of the people within it. Ignoring the part where Anne said that ruthless beings called 'titans' roamed the lands outside of the walls, Dante flew towards Eldia in his **Devil Trigger** state with Nero, using every ounce of his power to prevent himself from turning back into human form.

Finally reaching the island of Eldia, Dante saw the titans walking around everywhere and he could only shake his head. Looks like Anne wasn't kidding. Demons were one thing, now these titanic bastards? Nero will have major headaches when he grows up. Oh well, _their _kind was stronger than these pieces of shit any day and Nero could whoop their asses easily if he goes through the proper training like he did.

As soon as he reached the big wall, he transformed back into human form and had to regain his breathing since he spent too much of his power flying all the way. Dante felt himself getting even weaker than before, so he had to find a family who can take care of Nero, quick.

While looking for a house where he could leave the basked where Nero was in, Dante could only be confused as the people here were acting like, _natives_, or something. Everything around here was old school, something that he took notice of. Did they even know about technology? Anne never mentioned anything like this before. Plus, the people here were looking at him _and _at the clothes he was wearing. Seriously, people? His style was something fashionable these days! They must be falling behind or what! Something was definitely wrong here, and if he could, he would look into it and see what's wrong, if it weren't for the demonic poison eating him out from the inside.

Dante couldn't take it anymore and simply left the basket in the doorstep of the nearest house he could find. A big one with a basement and small tower located at the top of a staircase. Dante clutched his chest as he told Nero that he'll be going to the underworld as well, in order to look for Vergil and kill Mundus with him or die trying. Like with his father, Dante also whispered to the sleeping child that if he doesn't come back, the Rebellion and his two pistols, Ebony and Ivory would be sealed in his unawakened right arm. When Dante noticed that someone was about to open the door, he quickly sealed some of his power into Nero's arm before running off.

The door was opened and a woman came out, immediately noticing the baby on the doorstep. This woman was **CARLA YEAGER** and she was quickly drawn to how innocent the child looked while sleeping peacefully as she called out to the other person inside the house. Her husband, **GRISHA YEAGER **answered the call and walked towards her, noticing the baby in her arms. They were a childless couple, because Carla could not get pregnant and the man quickly noticed the smile on his wife's face.

Carla had tears in her eyes. She finally had a child. Sure, she may not have given birth directly, but a baby is a baby. Grisha nodded with a smile as they embraced with the child between them, welcoming the new member of their family. They named him **EREN**.

That was the tale of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda and his two sons, Dante the Devil Hunter and Vergil the Darkslayer. _This _is the story of Eren Yeager, a boy who also carries the blood of Sparda, and a boy who has untapped power sleeping within him.

This is the story of how he will use his power to end two worldly conflicts that have plagued the Earth for over a thousand years.

This is the story of a boy who will grow up to be a legend.

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_**Well, that ends this prologue. Phew! That's one way to summarize things… now stay tuned for next chapter! We'll start things properly next time!**_

_**To clarify things, Eren's original name is Nero, and he's Vergil son. In other words, he's simply Nero from DMC, okay? If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	2. To You, 2000 Years From Now

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry or any of its characters...**_

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**Year 845; Shiganshina District, Wall Maria**

_"See you later, Eren…"_

The boy awoke with a gasp after having a vivid nightmare. Was it even considered one, though? All he saw were images of a group of titan, a bedroom, someone getting lifted by a giant hand off the ground, a decomposing body, a massive tower, and a giant monster that looked like a dog of sorts. There was more to it than that but he couldn't remember anymore. Yet the strangest things was that he heard someone's voice speak out in his head, saying "see you later" to him. The voice seemed to know who he was, but how could that be?

Eren Yeager was taking a nap under the shade of a tree in a field of flowers, deciding to rest after collecting firewood for his family. He wore a black shirt with dark brown pants and brown shoes. He had red jacket over his shirt, which was given to him as a birthday present by an anonymous benefactor three years ago. He just woke up one day and got told that he received a surprise package on the doorstep, which contained the jacket. He wore it on a regular basis from then on. He also had a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

_"What was that about? What… what was that voice i heard just now?" _he thought, before shaking it off his mind so he could forget it. _"Nah, if I continue to think about it, people might think I'm crazy or something…"_

He looked around and yawned, rubbing his eyes before grabbing the pack that contained the firewood he had collected. However, as he reached for it, his eyes slightly widened when his right arm started to emit a very small blue aura from his forearm up to his hand. Eren shook his head furiously, maybe he was just imagining things. He looked at his arm once more, and exhaled a sigh of relief to himself. Boy, he almost thought he was going crazy or something. Putting on the pack, he ventured through town to get home.

When he had reached the town plaza (the road en route to the Wall), he saw a friend of his family, a blonde man named **HANNES**, getting drunk with his fellow soldiers in the Garrison. Eren suddenly had the intention of stomping over to where he was and ask why wasn't he doing his job properly, but he knew better than to try talking sense to a drunk man, so he just continued on his way.

He then heard the bells from above the wall going off. He looked up with a smile, before heading to gate as Eren knew what it meant.

A few minutes later, he was struggling to get through the crowd of people just to get a view of his heroes. Since he was too small, he simply stepped on a crate and was just in time to see them arriving on their horses. He looked at them with an excited smile. They were all dressed in military outfits with their signature green cloaks wrapped around them. The symbol of the wings of freedom were proudly displayed on their backs.

"The Survey Corps! They're finally back!" Eren exclaimed with pure admiration in his voice.

Eren caught a tall blonde man's eye as they rode slowly, but when he turned his head away from the boy's eyes, that was only when Eren noticed the atmosphere around him. Turning his head, he noticed the many injuries that the Survey Corps sustained. An aura of gloom and despair befell over them. Two carriages of dead bodies covered in cloth had a chill going down everyone's spines.

An elderly lady then walked up to them and started asking about her son. One of the soldiers, the commander to be exact, handled her a wrapped bundle that startled the poor woman. She unwrapped it slowly and gasped, as it contained somebody's bloody hand. The fact that it was given to her could only mean it was her son. She dropped to her knees and began crying hysterically.

She stayed like that for a few moments before asking something that surprised the commander. "Did my son help? Even if it was something as useless as distracting them, did my son help advancing humanity's territory?!" she yelled, desperate for an answer.

"Y-Yes," he answered and the woman look up at him. Immediately, the commander looked remorseful. "I-I mean no! No, we never learn! All of this is my fault, my inexperience has led them to their deaths!" The commander fell to his knees and began to weep as well.

A few moments after, the corps carried on as the mood became even more sour.

"Tch, looks like all of the taxes we pay are going to waste in being titan food." One of the people next to Eren said to another civilian who nodded in agreement.

That one statement made Eren mad as he jumped off the crate he was standing on and punched the man right in his crotch, making him fall to his knees while squealing as if he turned back into a child. "Don't you dare say that about them! The Survey Corps is the reason why humanity will one day be able to go out of the walls again and claim back our world!" Eren yelled as he ran off before the other man could even catch him.

The boy however, didn't notice that the blonde Corps member from earlier was watching him closely the whole time.

A few turns here and there, Eren finally found himself back home. _"The nerve of that guy… who does he think he is? I'd like to see him go out of the walls and fight titans himself."_ He kept on thinking about the man he hit earlier bitterly as he opened the door.

"I'm back," he called out to his parents.

"Welcome home," his mother greeted him back. Carla was busy preparing food for lunch while he saw Grisha drinking tea at the table while looking over his notes. His father was a well-known doctor, and he regularly made visits outside of their home to the other districts and areas within the walls to treat patients.

Eren went to the crate where they were keeping all the firewood they collected and added the bunch that he had gather today.

"Wow Eren, you gathered a lot today." His mother smiled as she set the table for all of them. "Normally you're either bored or sleepy whenever you go out to collect wood. Did something motivate you today?"

"I guess you could say that," he sighed as he sat at the table opposite to Grisha after he was done depositting the firewood. The issue with the man from earlier still lingered on his mind.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Carla asked, dividing their food between Eren's plate, Grisha's and hers. Eren shook his head and just began to eat his food, but his mind was still out of it because of what happened earlier.

"The Survey Corps returned today." he mumbled out of nowhere, which got the attention of both his parents. "Like always, it was another failed expedition. But to make it worse, no one even appreciates what the scouts do for us! That's why when I turn fifteen, I'm going to enlist in their ranks and join the Survey Corps myself." he said, becoming more and more determined with each word he said.

While Grisha only had a small look of surprise, Carla audibly showed her shock as she stood up from the table. "What?! Eren, do you know how many people die on their trips?! It's too dangerous for you!" she yelled at him. "Dear, can you talk some sense into your son?" she said, pleading with her husband.

"Eren, why do you want to join the Survey Corps?" his father asked in a calm tone.

Eren stood up as well, showing more of his determination. "Because if someone doesn't continue and finish their work, then all of their sacrifices will be in vain!" the boy answered him heatedly.

"I see." Grisha nodded before standing up and fixing his clothes. "I need to be going. I have to get some ingredients. I will be back in two to three days." he said, before grabbing his hat and heading for the door.

"Dear wait, you and Eren need to have a long talk on why he shouldn't join the scouts!" Carla said as she followed him to the door, with Eren tailing just behind her.

"Honey, there will come a time when Eren needs to make his own choices and it looks like he is already dead-set on this. Nothing we say is going to change his mind." He said, giving Carla a goodbye kiss before turning to his son one last time. "Eren, when I get back, I will show you the secret…" he pulled out a gold key hanging from his neck and showed it to Eren, with his expression suddenly turning into shock out of nowhere. The young boy didn't notice it, however, since he just kept his gaze fixed on the key. "...that I've been keeping in the basement all this time."

"R-Really?!" For the first time since the scouts arrived earlier, Eren smiled from ear-to-ear. Being a healthy normal boy, he was always curious on what his father had in their house's basement, since Carla forbid him to go there. For years, he wanted to know what was inside it, and now he had the opportunity.

"Yes, now be a good young man and listen to your mother while I'm gone." He said before leaving, while waving his arm goodbye.

His last statement left Eren scowling once again since he knew what his dad meant. Once Grisha was gone, his mother made him face her. "You heard your father, Eren. I won't let you go and sacrifice your life like that." she told him with narrowed eyes.

"I don't want to just stand around here like stupid cattle and wait to get eaten by those damn titans!" Eren yelled before running off.

"Eren!" she tried to call for him, before frowning sadly. _"That boy is full of energy that it gives me headaches most of the time… reminds me of myself, actually. And where did he get that foul language? I never taught him those words… I'll make sure to lecture him properly later." _she thought with a frown, before moving on to dry all their already-washed clothes at the top of their small tower.

* * *

Across town, a group of three children were ganging up on a small blonde boy as they cornered him into a wall. Said boy looked like he was about to cry at any moment, but he steeled his resolve.

"Take this, you heretic!" the leader said, punching the boy into the wall. "Why don't you fight back, huh?" he asked as his two friends beside him laughed at the boy's misery.

"Because that would only put me on the same level as you! You doing this means you know I am right and you don't want to answer!" the blonde kid shouted back at him.

The leader widened his eyes for a moment before narrowing them again and gritting his teeth. "Why you little —" he was about to pull back to punch the boy again when a voice stopped him.

"Oi." The three kids looked to their right and saw the familiar white mop of hair that belonged to one Eren Yeager. "What do you think you're doing to Armin?" he said while narrowing his eyes dangerously.

The three immediately paled. They didn't want to face a beating from the toughest kid in town. Eren had a reputation amongst the youth here, since there was no one who could beat him in a straight fight every time someone challenged him. The white-haired boy didn't want his pride damaged so he took every challenge coming to him. Eren seemingly had a high tolerance to pain and every wound he sustained healed rather quickly for some reason. Despite this however, Carla didn't like the idea that her son was growing up to be a bully. This caused Eren to avoid fighting as much as he could, promising to only resort to self-defense if the situation called for it.

But by now, almost all of the kids in the neighborhood feared him so there was no point in it, anyway.

"Oh crap, it's Eren! Run!" the leader shouted as they ran away.

"Tch, always picking on someone weaker than them. When will they learn?" Eren said in disgust as he watched them leave, before turning to the blonde kid named **ARMIN ARLERT**.

"Hey Armin, are you alright?" he asked, reaching out a hand for his friend to take.

"I can stand on my own," Armin muttered as he struggled to get up on his own two feet.

"Well alright," he placed his hand back in his jacket pocket before looking over to the river that was not far from where they were. "You want to head to the river and talk about what just happened?"

Armin nodded as the two friends took off.

* * *

A few minutes later, the two were sitting by the river bank while throwing rocks into the water.

"So what happened there?" Eren asked, throwing a rock that reached about halfway to the other side.

"I said that one day, humanity will need to leave the walls to explore the world and see it for ourselves, but they called me a heretic." Armin explained, matching Eren's disrance with a throw of his own.

Eren was about to throw another one when he heard what Armin said, causing him to narrow his eyes and drop the rock he was holding. "I see. Honestly, I don't know why people are so content living their entire lives within these walls, roaming around like livestock." Eren kicked the rock he just dropped and to Armin's surprise, it nearly reached the other side of the river.

"That's why I'm going to join the Survey Corps and see the world with my own eyes," he continued.

Armin looked down sadly. "Yeah… just because the walls haven't been breached in a hundred years doesn't mean it won't happen… even today." he muttered with a terrified look.

All of a sudden, they heard a huge explosion looked off into the distance towards the wall, where they saw smoke rising.

"What was that?!" Armin yelled.

"I have no idea, let's go check it out!" Eren gritted his teeth as he ran to the direction of the explosion with Armin following behind.

They arrived at the town plaza near the gates where a crowd was gathering. When they reached the crowd, they looked up along with everyone else and their eyes widened. A giant hand was gripping the top of the wall before a huge shadow fell upon them. A colossal head then revealed itself, looking down at all the people inside the walls.

"A titan?! B-But that wall is 50 meters high!" Armin yelled out in shock.

The titan then raised its leg and aimed it dead center into the gate, blasting it open with a single kick that sent a huge shockwave along with giant pieces of debris. Eren and Armin had to close their eyes to protect them from the wind, while hoping that they'd be safe from the falling debris, some of which landed close to them. After the wind died down, they opened theit eyes to see titans coming through the hole that the colossal one had created. Everyone who survived the falling pieces of debris began running away from the direction of Shiganshina's outer gate.

Eren stood frozen in his spot as he realized where a few of the titans were heading to. _"My house is in that direction."_ he thought to himself before running off to his home.

"EREN!" Armin screamed out to his friend seeing him running towards the titans. He himself was too scared to even move. He did get his feet moving however, and ran back towards his home to get his grandfather.

Eren ran as fast as he could towards his home, fear present in his eyes. _"When I go around this turn, my home will be there and it will be fine… it will be fine."_ he told himself but when he followed the turn to his house, his eyes widened in fear, before running even faster than before.

His house had been crushed by a large piece of debris.

Getting closer, he found his mother seemingly unconscious on the ground under the wreckage. "Mom!" he yelled, seeing her.

Carla slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Eren trying to lift a huge support beam that had her legs underneath. "Eren! You have to run away from here!" she yelled at him.

Just then, they heard and felt giant footsteps getting louder by the second. Eren looked to the side to see a huge blonde titan coming in their direction. He widened his eyes and put in more effort to lift the beam off his mother.

"They're here, aren't they?! Eren leave me and run, my legs are stuck in all this debris and I can't move!" she shouted at him.

"Shut up! I'm going to free you and we're running away together!" he shouted back, tears forming in his eyes out of desperation.

"Why won't you ever listen to me? At least listen to me just this once!" Carla cried, tears already flowing from her eyes.

Just then, Hannes landed next to them with his ODM gear.

"Hannes, take Eren with you and run!" Carla pleaded.

"Don't worry, I'm going to take care of that titan and save you both." Hannes stated with a smile, running off into the titan's direction.

"No, don't!" Carla yelled.

A few seconds later, Hannes' smile dropped as he stood frozen against the approaching titan. He began to feel the same thing as everybody else upon seeing the titan up close. _Fear_. He quickly turned around and ran back towards Eren and Carla, grabbing the boy and holsting him up on his shoulder. He looked at Carla for a moment, only for her to give him a nod and that was all he needed.

"Come on, Eren! We must leave!" he said, running for his life.

"I'm not leaving my mom! I WILL SAVE HER!" Eren delivered an elbow to the back of Hannes' head, causing the older man to drop him as he ran back to his mother.

Seeing her son come back for her had Carla sobbing uncontrollably. The blonde titan was about to reach them. "Eren… just… please… go…" she didn't have energy left to scream, losing all hope for her son just as the young boy tried to lift the beam once again.

_"I can't give up now! Come on! I WILL NOT give up! I'M NOT GONNA LET MY MOM DIE HERE!" _Eren shouted in his mind, just as his whole body began to glow blue and let out a corresponding aura. However, his arm was the only part of him that strangely glowed brighter. This caught the attention of both Carla who looked up from her sobbing and Hannes, who turned around to look at the mother and her son.

"I… need power… pow_**er… give me MORE POWER!" **_Eren shouted in a tone far different from his own voice as he sounded more like a _monster_, causing both Hannes and Carla to be slightly terrified of him. The boy's eyes had turned red as time seemed to slow down.

It was only at that moment that he noticed the blue glow his arm was giving off. Everything seemed to stop for a moment, before a brilliant flash of light came from his arm blinding the titan, Hannes, Carla, and even Eren himself.

When they all regained their sight, the three remained there in awe. Eren's arm while still human-shaped, it looked more demonic and reptilian; composed of reddish armor-like plates all over that contained his skin underneath, which now glowed blue. The light surrounding the rest of his body died down, and his eyes returned to their normal color.

"What the hell?" Hannes voiced out his confusion, temporarily forgetting about the titan nearing them. Carla remained quiet but looked shocked at what just happened.

Eren was still dumbstruck at what his arm just turned into until the titan's footsteps snapped him out of his trance. The titan was about to reach out for him and his mother. "SHIT!" he yelled out, trying one last time to get his mother out of there by lifting the giamt beam off her. Much to his and Carla's shock, he easily took it off her and he even _unknowingly_ sent it flying towards the titan's face, stunning it momentarily.

"What the…" Carla looked up at her son's arm, and even Eren himself could only look at it in shock. That was when the white-haired boy realized this opportunity as he turned around to face Hannes.

"Hannes-san! Help me carry mom!" he yelled out desperately, causing the blonde man to snap out of it as he ran towards Carla. He would push aside his confusion for now in favor of escaping.

While Eren struggled to lift his mother off the ground, Hannes pushed him off and carried Carla on his back. "I got this Eren, go on and run!" he told the boy, who looked relieved that he saved his mom from being titan food.

"Thank you…" Carla breathed out from behind Hannes, while keeping her eyes fixed on Eren's strange arm. That was until the footsteps grew louder again from behind them. Turning around, the titan was about to reach out for them again, with both Hannes and Carla fearing for their lives.

But Eren kept a furious look, with tears brimming out of his eyes. He wasn't about to let a titan take his mok away now that he saved her. "GO TO HELL, YOU TITAN!" he screamed out, slapping the massive hand away with his right arm. What shocked the three again was that Eren did just that; a massive spectral projection of his demonic arm slapped the giant hand away strong enough that the titan nearly fell off it feet as it staggered back.

While Eren stood there in complete awe at what he just did, he felt someone shaking him off his trance. Looking to his side, Hannes had a mixture of shock and confusion on his face.

"Look kid, I got a lot of questions running through my mind right now about that new arm of yours, but those will be meaningless if you keep on standing here like a madman! We need to move, your mother's safe here!" he looked behind him, where Carla had passed out on his back.

Eren got the message quickly and ran alongside Hannes to the river, where the ships were evacuating civilians towards Trost.

* * *

By the time Eren and Sannes got to the river, lots of Shiganshina residents were pleading for the ship operators to be included in the ride, but got told to wait for the next one to arrive since they were already full of passengers. However, even the next ship wouldn't be enough to hold all of the remaining people there. This caused in some of the civilians jumping on and clinging to the edge for their dear lives, desperate to avoid the titans.

Hannes shook his head that he had to wait for the next one before he can get Eren and Carla onboard, so he turned his attention to the young boy for a while. Like he said earlier, he had many questions in his mind, as he noticed Eren simply observing his newly transformed arm.

_"Grisha, just what the hell is this son of yours? Is he even human?"_ he thought, before noticing more people about to join the already massive crowd. _"Crap, this'll be a bigger problem!" _He quickly reached inside his pocket and pulled out a white towel, throwing it towards Eren's open hand.

Eren caught it before looking up at Hannes. "What's this for?" he asked.

"You need to cover your arm, Eren." he told the boy in a serious tone. "We'll talk about that arm later but right now, other people can't know. That would cause another problem and they might think you're one of the titans or something. We don't need that issue happening right now. You _need_ to hide it from plain sight. Stare at it later!"

The boy got his message and quickly wrapped his right arm with the cloth just in time before more civilians joined them in waiting for the next ship, as titans continued to lay waste on Shiganshina. An abnormal one with armor plating all over its body then entered the district through the hole that the colossal one made, running towards the inner gate.

It took a few more minutes, but the moment the next ship arrived, Hannes quickly talked with the ship operators to let Eren and Carla onboard and they did. He then let Carla rest her legs on a chair leaning against the control room of the ship, before bidding farewell to Eren as he flew away on his ODM gear to help with the evacuation. Eren left his mother for a moment to look for a certain someone, and he was relieved to see Armin standing near the edge of the ship, looking at Shiganshina one more time as they began to depart.

"Armin!" he called out, and the blonde boy looked happy to see his friend.

"Eren, did Hannes-san get to you in time?" he asked the white-haired boy, who looked confused for a few moments before smiling himself.

"You sent him to fetch us, didn't you?" he said with a thankful smile.

Armin smiled embarrassingly. "Y-Yeah… I saw him running towards the titans after I left my house with my grandfather… I told him to get you since you went back to your home and that place was close to the hole in the gate."

Eren couldn't help but hug his friend after that. Armin looked surprise but hugged him back before Eren pulled away. "Thank you, Armin. I don't know what could've happened if Hannes-san didn't show up." he said with a smile. Armin nodded with a smile as well, before the sound of someone coughing got their attention.

* * *

***cough***

***cough***

She was sitting directly at the front deck, hugging her knees together as her eyes looked like she had gone from crying so many times. She was wearing a simple pink dress and had long black hair. Her eyes looked devoid of any emotion before she noticed two pairs of feet standing in front of her.

"Hey." The one with white hair said while frowning. There was also a blonde boy standing beside him, looking greatly concerned for her. "Are you okay?"

Out of instinct, the girl nodded her head without lifting herself up from her knees.

He sighed. "No, you're not." He offered his hand to her. "Can you stand?"

The girl looked to the side and whimpered sadly, deciding to just follow what he said since she had nothing left to live for. Her parents were gone, eaten by titans after the wall got breached. However, she had struggles in getting up that the blonde boy supported her in standing on her two feet.

Eren noticed her shivering as the girl instinctively wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at his red scarf. "You're feeling cold, aren't you?"

She just looked to the side, not wanting to answer that, until she felt a warm fabric wrapping around her neck and face in a messy way, causing a small blush to erupt on her face afterwards as she stared at the boy before her.

"Uhm, Eren, that's not how you wrap a scarf around someone…" the blonde said, and the boy whom she now knew as Eren, looked at him in confusion.

"It's not?" Eren asked in confusion and Armin sighed.

As the ship finally left Shiganshina district, the abnormal titan with armor was unstoppable in its charge through the whole area, before bursting through the inner gate and creating another breach in Wall Maria. Today would be forever remembered as humanity's darkest hour, for the titans have finally reached their doorstep. The gigantic titan that caused the gaping hole in the gate would be known as the** COLOSSAL TITAN**, while the abnormal titan that burst through the inner gate would come to be known as the **ARMORED TITAN**.

Yet unknown to everyone else, the child known as Eren Yeager had taken his first step in _changing_ the world.

* * *

_**WOW! What a chapter to start things off! If you notice, I did things differently compared to canon. Mikasa isn't living with Eren but I'm sure you can guess who the identity of the young girl whose neck Eren wrapped his scarf around :)**_

_**I did that for a reason, okay? You'll know why soon. Second, yes, I saved Carla. Got a problem with it? I thought it would be nice for Eren to still have his family to make him less of an angry boi when he starts military training LMAO. Remember, Nero from DMC is not angry all the time like Eren from canon is. Since Eren is Nero here, I hope you get the picture.**_

_**Next chapter, revelations unfold. The mystery regarding Eren's new arm is uncovered and a certain somebody is due to make his 'return'. See ya'll in the next chapter!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	3. That Day

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

It took a full day for Eren, Armin, and the other refugees with them on board to arrive in Trost. During this time, Carla woke up from her unconscious state and thanked her son for saving her back in Shiganshina, to which Eren responded that he couldn't let his mother die. Her memory was still a bit blurry, but she definitely remembered how Eren's arm changed all of a sudden yesterday, but she kept quiet about that for now. Good thing that her son also kept it hidden underneath that white cloth on his arm.

The young girl whom Eren and Armin found all alone at the ship's front deck introduced herself as **MIKASA ACKERMAN**, who was left all alone after her parents had their bodies crushed by falling debris from when the Colossal Titan created the first breach. Eren told her that she can stick with him and his mother since she had no one to turn to. Mikasa tried to turn him down at first and even attempted to return his scarf, but Eren insisted that she needed it more than him and that he would rather get fed to the titans than sit around and let a homeless kid walk around without someone watching over her. His words once again caused the poor girl to blush, before he explained that his mother wanted the same thing.

So now it was Eren, Carla and behind her was Mikasa, leaving the ship while being led to a refugee camp and went inside one of the buildings. Armin wasn't with them since he was with his grandpa. In there, various Garrison soldiers handed out bread to everyone. Eren managed to only get three loaves, he gave one piece to his mother as she leaned against the wall to relax her legs.

He gave the other piece to Mikasa and she stared at the bread for a few moments, leaving him with his own. Eren was about to take a bite, until he felt someone tapping his back. He turned to see a young girl with brown hair tied into a ponytail looking at him with pleading eyes, as she pointed to the loaf of bread in his hand. The poor girl looked to be really hungry and Eren felt bad for her. He handed his bread to her as she smiled widely afterwards, thanking him before walking away and Mikasa looked at him curiously.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, looking at him in surprise.

"I'm not feeling hungry that much." he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Mikasa nodded in understanding. She then bit off a small chunk from her loaf. "T-Thank you for this. I don't know how I can pay you back, uhm… Eren." It was then that Mikasa slowly smiled, the first she has shown ever since they met, and it caused the white-haired boy to smile in return.

Mikasa tore the bread in half and gave him the other piece. "Go on and eat." she told him, and Eren scratched the back of his head. He just gave her a whole piece of bread, now she was giving half of it back to him?

"You sure?"

Mikasa nodded.

"Okay, then." he shrugged and took the piece, before stuffing it in his mouth. Moments later, his mouth was already full as Eren struggled to swallow the bread down. Mikasa let out a small giggle and Eren began to laugh as well. He was relieved to see the girl him and Armin came across laughing and smiling like a normal kid.

Carla watched the two interact and smiled to herself. "That boy never ceases to surprise me…" she muttered while eating her own piece.

He finally swallowed it, before he began coughing violently. He may have swallowed it too fast without even chewing on it enough times. Mikasa patted his back before Carla handed her son a canteen that was just beside her. Eren took it and drank, breathing heavily. "Thank god… I thought I was gonna die…" Eren breathed out.

"Good grief… just what am I going to do with you?" Carla rolled her eyes in slight irritation while Mikasa covered her face with her new scarf and shook her head.

Meanwhile outside the building, people were fighting to get rations for themselves. Everyone was throwing punches here and there, while the soldiers present did their best to calm everyone down. It was a mess at the refugee camp, and even the people inside could hear what was going on outside.

Eren frowned and stood up. "I have to help out there." He was about to leave, before someone stopped him by grabbing his arm. He turned around, and met Mikasa's pleading eyes.

"Please don't go…" she looked down on the floor as she spoke with a shy voice, while hiding her face with the scarf. Eren groaned as he turned back to the door with thoughts of just running off outside, but decided against it. He sighed and sat back down near his mom, and Mikasa took a seat beside him.

"So, what are you planning to do after this?" Eren asked her. "If you want to look for your other family members out there, I can help you get back to them. We'll look for them together, what do you say?"

"I… don't know," she replied sadly. "I don't have any other family other than my parents… at least that's what I know… They never told me if I even had grandparents… or any other members of our family…"

Her statement made Eren looked down. Yeah, now that he thought about it, he was barely able to save his mom too. If it wasn't for…_his arm_… then she wouldn't be here too. He'd likely end up getting all depressed like Mikasa and his mother would be food for the titans. Yeah and speaking of his arm, he still needed to find out how it turned from a normal one into a _monster's_. However, he didn't let that single thought take over him. He can always deal with that matter later.

"Well, I'm going to join the military two years from now." Eren said in a determined voice. "I want to fight the titans… they destroyed my home and they almost killed my mom! Not to mention they also killed your parents and left you all alone, right? I'm going to fight them and take back our home!" Mikasa's eyes widened, the boy was so confident, and she could tell that he was hungry for vengeance against the titans. It almost felt like there was nothing that can stop him…

All of a sudden, Carla spoke up as she pulled on Eren's ear, making him cry out in pain. "What did I tell you, young man? You are _not_ joining the Survey Corps! You saw what those titans did to our home, I can't let you risk your life on suicide missions, Eren."

While the mother-and-son duo continued to argue, Mikasa was left in her thoughts. What _did _she want to do now that they were safe from the titans? Wait, 'safe' isn't an appropriate term, more like escaped from the titans. Looking back when she was still boarding the ship with Eren and Armin earlier, she didn't want to do anything else and would rather die. Why wouldn't she? She lost her parents and her home. She had no friends, and no loved ones to turn to. She was all alone. The question shouldn't be about what she wanted to do, it should be more of what can she do while she was still here. But that made her confused… is there even anything that comes into mind for that? She then looked at the white-haired boy beside her.

"Eren," she called out getting the boy's attention along with his mother's. "C-Can I join the military with you?"

"What did you just say?" Eren asked, wondering if he was hearing things.

"I… want to join the military with you, Eren." That was a lie, she didn't really want to, but felt that she had to do _something_ before passing away. While she indeed had nothing left to live for, Mikasa didn't want to spend the rest of her remaining days sitting around a corner and wait for starvation. No, she was better than that.

"Are you serious?" Now Eren was confused. Where did _that _come from? "Earlier, you were looking like you lost all hope in living, now you want to be a soldier? There's no way you can handle it."

"I'm… I'm feeling better now," she half-lied. True, she was starting to feel better but the memory of her parents and her grief was still fresh. "It's not like we're going to enlist tomorrow, right?" she said, remembering how Eren specifically said that he would sign up in the military two years from now.

"Yeah… it's just…" he wanted to ask what caused her to have this answer all of a sudden before he sighed. "You know what, forget it. Just… stick with me, okay? You're stuck with me and my mom from now on."

Mikasa nodded with a small blush on her cheeks.

"Mikasa, forgive me for this…" Carla interjected with a serious look on her face. "I may not have known your parents at all but as a mother myself, I can say that they wouldn't want you to join the military, even if they're still alive right now. I'm sorry Mikasa, but if you will be with us from now on, you have to listen to me. I won't let the both of you join the military. Not while I'm here. This is for your own good." Mikasa looked down sadly, knowing the truth behind her words. She knew that becoming a soldier was basically risking her life in the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Eren was glaring at the ground with his fists. Great, how was he supposed to fight against the titans now? Why was his mom so persistent in keeping him from joining the Survey Corps? It's not like he would die as soon as he steps into the battlefield. That's why there was a training camp for soldiers, right? He would learn how to properly take care of himself there! The only way he could die is if he was too stupid to forget an important rule or something.

In the midst of his inner conflict, a familiar blonde boy walking nearby suddenly caught Eren's attention. "Hey Armin! Come sit with us over here!" he called out. Armin turned and smiled, before running towards them. He sat beside Mikasa as Eren turned back to look at his mom, only to see her looking relieved while looking at the building's doors. Eren was confused and turned to see Grisha walk in, surprising him before Armin caught his attention again.

"Eren, I thought you guys were outside! It's a war out there!" Armin said in relief, causing them all to laugh softly before the blonde boy looked embarrassed. "I was lucky to get two pieces of bread for me and my grandpa, but I almost got caught in the fight for it."

"You should've went with us earlier then, I could've saved you the trouble." Eren smirked, and Armin only smiled in return.

Armin then turned to the raven-haired girl sitting beside him. "What about you, Mikasa? How are you doing so far?"

"I'm… doing fine," she answered as she grabbed onto her scarf.

The blonde noticed how Mikasa kept on wearing Eren's scarf even though it wasn't cold anymore. Sure, she was shivering earlier back when they are at the boat going to Trost, but right now it wasn't even cold. In fact, many of the people inside with them were sweating buckets due to how many refugees had settled inside.

Armin then smirked. "Oh Mikasa, I see you've taken a liking to that scarf… did you know it belonged to Eren?" he said in a teasing tone. For some reason, Mikasa didn't like where this was going. "Are you perhaps developing a liking to Eren because he gave you his scarf?"

Mikasa comically turned red as steam blew out of her ears, before she started stuttering incoherent words in embarrassment. Armin began laughing at her reaction.

"Oi Armin, cut it out. She's feeling cold, cut her some slack." the white-haired boy scowled. Eren wasn't normally like this, especially to his friend, but he wasn't fond of jokes like that either.

"You're being protective, aren't you Eren?" Armin teased. "You should date Mikasa, then!" Eren groaned, the poor girl looked like she would faint out of embarrassment, while Armin and Carla laughed at them. They were all interrupted when they heard another voice join in.

"Hello, everyone." Grisha said, announcing his presence as he approached them.

Eren quickly stood up and ran to embrace his father, and Grisha knelt down to return his son's hug. A few tears fell from the older man's eyes as Carla looked at them with a smile.

"Hello dear, you're about a day early." she greeted her husband back just as Eren pulled away from him, and Grisha stood up once again with his fists clenched.

"Forgive me. I wasn't there for you two." he said grimly, looking down on the floor. "As soon as I heard that Wall Maria was breached, I made my way here as fast as I could, and I hoped to see you with the other refugees. I'm just glad to see both of you alive."

Carla shrugged. "Well, we're alive, but I don't know if that's good news for me. My legs are really hurting right now since they nearly got crushed by a support beam back in our home."

Grisha looked worried as he immediately knelt down and checked on his wife's condition. "Oh dear, let me have a look at it. I hope it's nothing worse than broken bones. And remind me to thank whoever pulled you out of that beam and got you to safety."

"Pfft, you should thank your son then." Carla crossed her arms and looked to the side. "He was really stubborn even though I told him to leave me there. Even when Hannes took him away, he elbowed the guy and ran back to help me escape. We were all about an inch away from getting eaten by a titan, but what's done is done. Though if you ask me, that was really reckless of Eren so you better give him a proper talk about it. Maybe even have that talk about him _not _joining the Survey Corps like what I told you to do." For a moment, Carla forgot all about how _exactly _Eren saved her, which included the arm that he waa hiding under a white cloth right now.

"I can't just leave you to be eaten, you know!" Eren yelled back, defending his actions. He didn't notice that his father, Armin, and Mikasa were all looking at him in complete surprise. Eren _did _that while they were in danger of getting eaten?

"I understand." Grisha nodded, before turning his attention to Eren, but more specifically to his right arm. "Eren, I will talk to you after I'm done treating your mother. And it looks like you've gained a little injury of your own too." Eren's eyes quickly went to his arm and his eyes slightly widened. "Bear with it for a moment, let me just finish this."

How could he? He completely forgot about _that_. Right, his arm was the only reason why his mother was still alive. If it didn't turn into _that_, there's no way Carla would be alive right now. The same could be also said for Hannes and himself. What bothered Eren right now was _how exactly_ did his arm morph into that? Why did it happen? Was he a titan himself or something? That thought scared him for a second, but he shrugged it off. There's no way titans could have glowing arms that can grow bigger out of nowhere. Or maybe a monster that humanity had never known about until now? The possible answers were most likely infinite, but he would deal with that later while alone. Right now, he had to answer the curious and worried looks from his friends.

"Eren, what happened to your arm? I noticed that it's been wrapped ever since we were at the ship going here." Armin asked him.

"I… I kind of… uhm, stretched it too much when I was trying to lift up the piece of wood that had my mom underneath…" he lied, since he remembered Hannes' warning about not revealing his arm to anyone else. Not even to his friends. He could only hope they would buy his excuse.

"Does it hurt?" Mikasa asked in a worried tone.

"I-I'm fine, it… it doesn't hurt much anymore since I wrapped it up. As long as I don't move it much, it'll go back to normal." he assured them, and his two friends looked at him in worry, before finally nodding.

* * *

After Grisha informed his wife on how to ease the pain she felt, he recommended for her to start using crutches so she could support herself in walking or even standing. It would take at least 6-7 months before her legs can fully recover and be able to walk normally. But there was the danger that if Carla injures her legs another time, she may never be able to walk properly again. He was also introduced to Eren's new friend, Mikasa and Grisha only smiled at seeing his son creating new bonds. The boy was always sticking with Armin and didn't bother to make new friends, so this was a good thing.

Grisha then took Eren outside so he could start "treating" his son's arm and have a meaningful talk with him, but the young boy started to get confused when his father started to lead him to the nearby forest, away from the refugee camp.

"Dad, why are we in a forest? I thought we were going to talk." he asked as they stopped in an open clearing where they were surrounded by plenty of trees.

"Shh…" Grisha told him with a finger to his lips, indicating silence. The older man was starting to look desperate as he looked around in case someone had followed them here. Once he was sure that it was just him and his son, Grisha knelt down and grabbed Eren's right arm, before beginning to unwrap the cloth around it.

Realizing that his dad was someone he could trust with this, Eren decided to tell the truth. "Dad, there's… there's something you have to know… i-it's about my arm, I… I don't know how it happened but —" he stopped in his words when he noticed that Grisha wasn't paying to him at all. "Dad listen to me, this is important!" he cried out. "I don't know what's going on with me, but I don't want my arm to be like this! I don't want to be a monster like the titans!"

However, Grisha still didn't answer and he still had that desperate look on his face. He didn't even look at his son. Eren growled and he was about to smack his father in the head to make him pay attention, but he stopped when Grisha finally removed the cloth, revealing his demonic arm underneath.

Eren was becoming more afraid the more he looked at it. He didn't want to be a monster, he wanted to be normal. He completely forgot how it saved his, Hannes' and his mother's lives yesterday. He even turned his head to the side, disgusted with the appearance of his own arm but Grisha was a different story. The man had his mouth agape, with his eyes as wide as saucers in complete shock. He didn't look afraid in the slightest, as he gripped his own hair with his hands.

"I…It's… t-true…" Grisha said in a shaky voice.

"W-What?" Eren's voice was filled with nervousness. He was nervous that his father would be disgusted with him and treat him as a monster because of his arm.

"The legend… of Sparda… It's… it's true…" the doctor continued to breathe out, looking at Eren's arm in astonishment rather than being shocked.

"What legend…? Who the hell is Sparda…? Dad, what are you talking about? Do you have an idea what's happening to me?!" Eren said with more desperation in his voice, as he wanted answers.

All of sudden, Grisha's face grew serious and Eren feared the worst. This was it. His own father was going to treat him like an outcast of society and Eren was sure that he would completely be like how Mikasa was when her parents died. Alone and lifeless. The boy closed his eyes and prepared for what was to come.

.

The sound of a suitcase opening tempted Eren to open his eyes and see what it was, but decided against it. Grisha was probably going to hit him with something to cut off their bond and the thought of seeing it will only hurt him more.

.

Eren was forced to open his eyes when he felt Grisha grabbing his arm roughly and pulling the boy close to him. Eren was confused why his father had tears streaming down his face and was about to ask what's going on, but Grisha beat him to it.

"Eren, I don't have much time so I will leave everything to you. I want you to know that I am happy to have been your father, even though I am not." That got Eren to widen his eyes in shock as Grisha pulled out a syringe filled with a purple serum. "I am sure that your mother has told you about the legend of Sparda. Through that name, you will know about this arm! Everything is about to change, Eren. More than you ever know! It's not just titans you're facing! Sparda, Eren! Sparda! Remember that name, Eren. Remember it… for the sake of humanity!" The man then plunged the syringe into Eren's arm, in between the reddish plates that it directly got to his skin underneath before Grisha injected the serum.

"AAAAAGGGHH!" Eren grabbed his right arm as he screamed in pain, feeling something strange happening to him, not just to his arm but to his whole body. After Grisha had emptied the syringe, he pulled back and Eren fell to his knees instantly, crying from the intense pain that his arm felt from that injection.

Grisha was breathing heavily before stepping back, watching his son writhing on the ground in pain for the next few moments. The moment he saw Eren's skin beginning to glow blue, more tears streamed down his face as he took the gold key hanging from his neck anf showed it to the white-haired boy.

"Eren, listen to me!" Grisha's voice caused the already weakening boy to look up, even though he had collapsed on his stomach as his body began emitting a blue aura. "Eren, never let go of this key and remember that you need to make it back to our house's basement. Inside there are the answers to everything. The serum may affect your memories so just remember to look at this key everyday!" Grisha threw the key just in front of Eren and continued to speak, a proud smile appearing on his face despite the tears. "I know you will make me and your mother proud. Don't just focus on killing the titans, my son! Learn to appreciate the little things around you, and don't make the same mistake as I did." The doctor said to his barely conscious son, whose eyes had turned red.

Grisha took a deep breath as he heard the transformation begin, lowering his head. "I will be gone now, Eren. We won't be able to see each other again. Tell your mother I love her and no matter what you become, I will always love you as my son! Their memories will teach you how to use this power, so remember! Retake Wall Maria and get to the basement!"

Those were Grisha's final words as the sound of a growl interrupted him and looking up, the image of razor-sharp teeth was the last thing he saw before everything went silent.

* * *

…

…

…

Eren's eyes immediately flew open as he woke up with an audible gasp. He sat up and looked around, though he immediately noticed that he wasn't in the forest. He was in a large empty space that looked more like a typical living room, illuminated by a light bulb which only meant one thing. Someone _carried _him here. His father was nowhere to be seen as well.

He stood up and looked around for his dad, even calling him out when he noticed no one was around.

"Dad? Dad? Are you there? Dad, where are you?" Eren tried walking around to see if his father was just hiding from him or something. He was getting more irritated when he still didn't receive any response. "Come on Dad, where are you?! This is no time for games! You need to explain to me what you meant when you said all those things to me!"

Eren was about to scream in frustration that he can't find his father anywhere, but he stopped when he noticed something different with his arm. His eyes widened in surprise.

His arm was… normal.

_Just normal_.

It didn't look like it belonged to a monster or anything, and the red plates that were supposed to cover his arm were gone! His skin wasn't even glowing blue anymore! Just to be sure, he looked at his other arm and saw it wasn't glowing either. He was back to normal!

"Wait, wait, wait…" Eren started to speak, shaking his head incredulously. "Was it all just a dream?"

**"I don't know what you're referring to, kid." **A voice said from behind Eren, causing the boy's eyes to widen exponentially. **"Was it about your father going all crazy and injecting with a weird serum, because that wasn't a dream. Hehe. All of this around you is close to that, but this ain't a dream either."**

Eren slowly turned around and saw a man sitting on a couch with his arms sprawled beside him and his legs were spread open in a relaxing position.

Where did this guy come from all of a sudden?

The man had long white hair similar to his own, and he was wearing a wears red pants, yet his crotch and rear were only covered by long, black leather motorcycle chaps featuring a brown, cowboy boot design around the ankles. He wore black boots and black gloves that exposed his knuckles and index finger on each hand, and his pants are wrapped with a black belt with a silver demonic skull. He was wearing a deep red, short-sleeved coat with numerous gold colored studs decorating the shoulders, collar, and chest, and a single zipper on the front. Underneath the coat, he had a black, zipped up undershirt.

**"Yo."** the man said, waving his arm nonchalantly towards Eren.

"W-Who are you, mister?" Eren asked in confusion. He knew he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers and he normally distrusted anybody whom he didn't know, but right now, any form of help could be useful in figuring out where he was. This place was giving him the creeps and he just wanted to know where his father was.

**"Oh, where are my manners? Name's Dante."** The man known as Dante did a finger salute towards the young boy, before standing up and pointing to himself in a cocky way. **"Acclaimed Devil Hunter, the owner of the most successful agency in the world Devil May Cry, a son of Sparda, and your one and only uncle, kid." **he boasted in a smug tone, as Eren's eyes widened at hearing what he said.

Sure, he had questions about everything that this… Dante guy just said… especially the part when he heard the name 'Sparda' but what shocked Eren most of all was the last bit as he could only mutter out one word in return.

"What?"

* * *

_**And that ends the chapter! Dante has made his appearance, and has dropped the bomb to Eren. Grisha has injected the titan serum to Eren, so what will happen from now on in the present time? All that's left is to explain everything to Eren, including his heritage and everything related to demons, before getting back to the present time.**_

_**If you're gonna ask about Dante knowing about titans, no he doesn't. He doesn't know the story behind them, and heck, he doesn't even know the story of Eldia and Ymir. He was even confused with what titans were in the prologue. But what he does know is that there is a world beyond Eldia, and he knows about Marley. That will be important for what's happening next chapter.**_

_**Okay, so I altered Mikasa's backstory a little and there's a reason for that. The truth is that I'm going to pair her with Eren and I'm gonna be REALLY uncomfortable if I do that with them being like siblings and all. But take note, this will be an Eren x Harem fanfic, with Mikasa as the first known member. Feel free to guess who's in, guys :)**_

_**If you have more questions, ask away!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	4. Son of Sparda

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

**"What, you didn't hear me?" **Dante smirked before doing a cocky pose. **"I said I'm your uncle, Nero."**

Eren frowned and shook his head slowly, although his eyes showed that he was still shocked beyond belief. "T…That's not my name… Dante…?" he muttered, still confused with what was going on.

**"Really? I could have sworn your old man named you 'Nero' when you were born... Oh man, my mind must be going through a phase right now if I forgot about that." **Dante made a thinking pose before massaging his forehead as if it was sore. The way how nonchalant and cocky he spoke felt odd towards Eren for some reason, he didn't know whether to be mad about it or not.

The boy's frown became more serious. "I don't know who 'Nero' is and it's not me! My mom and dad named me Eren!" He took one last look around him before glaring at Dante. "And where the hell am I? Are you a kidnapper or something? Did you take me from my father?! Answer me right now!" he continued to ask question after question and eventually the man before him to raise his hands in defeat.

**"All right, all right, calm down kid, you might get a panic attack if you continue." **Eren did stop asking questions, although he kept on glaring at Dante. The devil hunter could only deadpan, if Nero was like this, then he would have a hard time making him loosen up like him. Ah, who was he kidding? The kid was the son of Mr. Scowls-a-lot aka Vergil, so he should've expected this. **"First off, what do you remember?"** Dante asked, sounding more serious this time.

That came as something that made the boy think for a few moments. He was trying to find his father, but what happened before that again? Eren held his head with one hand, as he tried to remember what happened to him earlier. "My dad… he… told me to remember… a name… S…Sparda…? I… I think that was the name…" Dante raised an eyebrow as he heard that particular name. "He… He told me if I do… I would know…" Eren raised his right arm, only to remember that it was back to normal instead of looking demonic. "This… This doesn't make any sense! My arm wasn't normal earlier!" Eren glared at Dante once again. "You answer me right now, old man! Where did you take me and what happened to my arm?!"

However, Dante didn't take the boy's last comment lightly as his expression turned into anger, albeit in a comical way, which didn't affect Eren one bit. **"Who the hell are you calling 'old', you little shit?! You better take that back right now!"** he fumed, but Eren wasn't fazed or anything. He was used to older people threatening him. **"Fine, fine! You're inside your mind right now, everything here is a product of your imagination, well except for me, happy now?!" **Dante had a raging look after his little explanation, still looking pissed with Eren's remark about his age.

Eren still looked confused nonetheless. "But… if that's true, then… how did I end up here…? Do you know why?" The boy looked around again now that he knew where he was.

**"Hell if I know,"** Dante shrugged as he plopped back down on the couch behimd him. Now he lost all signs of his carefree personality, still affected with one small remark made by the kid. **"All I know is that before you showed up here, I was busy removing a weird serum that just entered your body, kid."**

"Serum that just entered…" Eren pondered, as he tried to remember the events that transpired just moments ago with his father. It then hit him. "Wait, are you talking about what my dad injected in me? I remember him injecting something into my arm before I passed out."

**"Maybe." **Dante thought about it for a moment before remembering how that particular serum was seemingly unstable when he tried to deal with it earlier. **"Kid, what was that serum that went into you? It was kind of unstable and I had to suppress it so your demonic side won't be —"** Dante stopped talking midway when he realized what he was talking about, before he noticed the confused look on Eren's face. **"Oh, for crying out— come here!" **he gestured for the boy to move closer to him, who still looked wary of him, showing distrust. **"You already know that this whole place is happening in your mind, kid. You must be missing a brain if you can't even come closer to hear me explaining me all of this."** Dante shook his head and tapped his feet loudly, trying hard not to get irritated. But the kid… boy, if he knew Vergil's kid was going to be like this… he should've never gotten on his brother's nerves. Maybe this was karma for always teasing Vergil back then…

Eren was internally struggling whether to come closer to Dante. On one hand, if this was really happening in his mind, there was no need to worry and he could even get some answers from the old man. On the other hand, this Dante might just be tricking him into letting his guard down so he could get what he want. Ultimately, Eren chose to take the risk and reluctantly walked towards Dante, who leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs in a more serious pose.

**"Alright kid, let me ask you."** Dante began, narrowing his eyes. **"Do you know the legend of Sparda? Or have you only heard of it, at least? I do hope you know it, because I don't really want to go through the whole story…" **Dante chuckled in the end, as Eren looked down in deep thought.

Eren frowned slightly when it finally clocked in his mind. "I remember my mom telling me that legend as a story before I go to sleep years ago… It was about… I think it was about a demon called Sparda… who… fought for humanity and rebelled against his own kind… and… protected the humans for hundreds of years…" Eren's frown deepened as he once again thought about that name. "Sparda… that name… my father told me to —"

**"Remember it, I know. I heard you earlier." **Dante cut him off in a bored tone before sighing. **"Well you don't know the whole story kid, but you got the beginning covered. At least that's better than nothing. I'm going to tell you the rest of the story, but are you even willing to listen?" **He asked Eren, who looked like he had no answer to that. He still didn't trust Dante although he was now sure that all of this was just taking place in his mind. **"Your old man told you that you would get answers about what exactly happened to your arm if you know more Sparda, correct?" **Eren widened his eyes. **"I can tell more about Sparda and even answer your questions about your right arm, but only if you're willing to listen to me. I'm not gonna waste time talking to a little brat who can't even make time to hear out others." **Dante sent a questioning look towards Eren's direction. **"Now I'm gonna ask you again, kiddo. Are you?"**

Eren was shocked the moment Dante mentioned the exact same thing that Grisha had told him, and it made him wonder. How did Dante know about that? No one could have possibly heard what him and his dad were talking about earlier, right? It still made Eren suspicious about him but on the other hand, he chose to have his questions answered more.

The white-haired boy nodded, making Dante smirk.

**"Alright kid, get ready for a little bedtime story. Keep an open mind, you'll need it."** Dante stated as he began to explain. **"You got the legend right. Sparda was a demon who fought his own kind and protected humans from the armies of the underworld and to be more precise, the armies of Mundus, the king of the underworld. Now let me ask you this, kid. Do you believe that those demons I'm talking about exist?"**

"No," was Eren's short response.

**"But you believe in giant monsters because of those titans you see walking around?" **Dante asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, because I can see them and the effect they have on humans." Eren crossed his arms. "I'll only believe demons exist when I see one for myself."

**"Understandable. But let me give you a wake-up call right now, kid. You're living in a fantasy." **Eren raised an eyebrow at that. **"You think those ugly titans were bad enough? News flash, it's about to get worse than that."**

Eren gulped, remembering how his father said the same thing earlier about how the titans weren't the only threat they were facing. "W-What do you mean?" he asked nervously, having a bad feeling on what's about to come next.

**"Demons, kid. They exist. They're very real, just like how Sparda protected the people of this world more than two thousand years ago. These demons will attack and kill you with no hesitation. And now that the outermost wall here is breached, demons are free to enter your doorsteps anytime. From lesser demons to giant beasts, the options are nearly infinite."** Eren's eyes widened to the point that both his green orbs looked like they were about to pop out of his sockets, and Dante inwardly smirked at his reaction. **"I can tell you're in disbelief, kid. I can explain further, but are you still with me?"**

Eren nodded dumbly, completely drawn to Dante's explanation now. If he was being defiant earlier, well then, circumstances changed his mind.

**"Good, now continuing…" **Dante then fed himself a slice of pizza out of nowhere, causing Eren to look at him in confusion.

"What are you eating?" Eren asked with a small frown.

Dante looked terribly offended. **"What am I eating, you ask? Why, it's only the greatest gift that God has given to mankind! Pizza!" **he made a dramatic pose as he showed Eren the slice of pepperoni pizza on his hand.

A bit curious, Eren smelled the food on his hand. It smelled a bit salty? Anyway, he looked confused as he looked back towards Dante. "What's pizza?" the boy asked.

That single question caused Dante to drop his pizza and face-plant on the floor, with his whole body looking like it lost all signs of life as he turned white.

Eren sweat-dropped slightly at what just happened, before he tried to wake up the older man by shaking him. "Dante? Oi, Dante!"

As Eren tried to "revive" Dante, the man clad in red was immediately filled with despair. _**"This doesn't make any sense!" **_he complained to himself. _**"How?! How can Nero NOT know the beauty of pizza?! Didn't his parents here ever taught him what— wait, wait… what if they don't know what pizza is either?! Then… then that means…" **_Dante then came to the horrible conclusion that _nobody_ in this island even _knew _what pizza is. _**"NOOOOOOO!" **_he wailed internally, as it looked like his soul just left him.

"Dante! Wake up you lazy-head and stop sleeping!" Eren began kicking the lifeless man's body lightly, thinking that Dante was just messing with him for the fun of it. To Eren's distate, the man's sleeping reminded him of himself since he preferred to sleep if he had nothing better to do. "You still have to tell me more about Sparda and my arm!"

**"MOVING ON!" **Dante surprised Eren as he sprang to his feet all of a sudden with a forced smile on his face, before sitting back on the couch. He looked a bit crazy because of his eyes, but anyway, as long as Eren would learn more. **"I'll tell you about Sparda's later life after he defended humanity from the Demon King Mundus, kid!"**

"Later life?" Eren's surprise was quickly replaced by curiosity as he wanted to know more about Sparda now, and it seems that Dante had the answers he wanted. He would listen willingly to the whole story if it meant getting those answers.

_**"I'm going to teach this kid what pizza is and how to appreciate it!" **_Dante told himself. _**"That way, he can spread to hundreds of other people here the ways of the pizza!" **_He made a mental note in the future to introduce Eren to pizza and why it was universally loved, but back to other matters, it was now time to tell the brat his real family.

Regaining his serious look from earlier, he began to speak again. **"Sparda managed to seal Mundus away, but it cost him his powers. For a thousand years, he roamed the world and became a legend as you know him today. But only a few knew what happened next to him." **Eren made sure to listen closely so he doesn't miss a detail in Dante's explanation. **"He met a woman named Eva and they eventually settled down together, making a family of their own. Eva gave birth to twins. Vergil was the older one. He was…" **Dante hesitated for a moment, looking saddened just for a second. **"He was my brother."**

Eren's eyes widened again as he looked at Dante in shock. The boy's mouth hung slightly agape as he pointed to the man in front of him with a shaking finger. "Y-You mean that you're —"

**"You got it right. Like I said earlier, I'm a son of Sparda." **Dante bore a prideful smile on his face while pointing to himself. **"That makes me a half-demon since my mother Eva was a human. My brother Vergil is the same."**

"Okay, but… what does this have to do with me? Am I a demon too? Because… my arm definitely doesn't look like it belongs to a normal human… Or… am I son of Sparda like you since I still look normal like everybody else?" Eren deeply didn't want the first option, because he saw himself as a human in all points. Being a devil would mean that all of it was just a lie to make himself feel better.

To his surprise, Dante let out a chuckle. **"You're really listening, kid… I like that. But no, you're not a son of Sparda. You're connected to my family, but you're not my little brother or anything. We're getting to that, just wait." **Eren nodded in understanding. **"Now the relationship between me and my brother isn't exactly like your normal family relationship, because this is where everything goes downhill. My family was attacked by demons who are servants of Mundus, and during that attack my mother died."**

"But why? If Mundus was already sealed away, there's no need for other demons to serve him!" Eren cried out in confusion.

**"That's the thing about demons, kid. All they do is follow what their leader tells them to do. And it's already in the mindset of demons by now to eliminate every person or devil who bears the blood of Sparda, the blood of a traitor." **Dante said grimly.

"I'm sorry about your mom," Eren voiced out his concern.

**"It's in the past," **Dante waved him off. **"Anyway, back to the story. After my mother died, my father trained me and my brother and he eventually passed away too, leaving us with his weapons and a memento from my mom." **Dante didn't want to tell Eren about what the Perfect Amulet was capable of, as he didn't want to overwhelm the poor kid with too much since he already had titans as his main problem right now. Meanwhile, Eren suddenly had the wish to somehow meet Sparda for himself. The way how he protected humanity from his own kind despite being a devil was something Eren can respect and look up to. **"Flash forward, my brother and I had a fight. Not the normal fight that you have with a sibling, because we fought with the intent to kill." **Eren gasped. How could Vergil even think of hurting his own family like that? **"He wanted more power, and I tried to stop him. After our battle, he fell to the underworld and Mundus took the opportunity to brainwash him. I fought Mundus myself sometime afterwards and sealed him again, which freed Vergil but he was still trapped in the underworld. Years later, he finally got out of there and we had a little talk where we made up, but we eventually went our separate ways too."**

"So what did you two do after that?" Eren asked, somehow relieved that Dante and his brother somehow reconciled after that. He didn't like how their family was drifted apart because of a foolish wish that Vergil had. Dante then smirked at him afterwards.

**"Well, as I told you earlier, I became the owner of the world's first and only agency that takes care of all matters regarding demons, DEVIL MAY CRY!" **He once again made a dramatic pose before pointing to himself in a boasting manner, only to notice that Eren didn't look amused at all. **"Okay, okay, back on topic! I opened up a business dedicated to exterminating demons so I could help people, that's it." **He said, while cursing Vergil for letting his son inherit his seriousness.

"That's all you did? What happened to your brother then? To Vergil." Eren continued to ask, although he was curious. He had never heard of a place called 'Devil May Cry' within Wall Maria, so maybe it was located within Rose or Sina.

**"There might be more to what I was up to after all that's happened, but that's not important."** He didn't want to mention anything about Lady, because her passing still shook him to this day. Trish was also a precious friend of his, and she looked like his mom, to the point he saw her like a sister he never had. It also hurt him deeply that she died. **"Anyway regarding Vergil, he found himself a woman called Anne Yeager, and they settled down together."**

Eren immediately perked up as soon as he heard the woman's name. "Wait a second! That woman! She has the same last name as me! The same last name as my dad!" This must be the answer he was waiting for. This must be the reason why he was connected to Dante, and how he had a demonic arm. "This Anne Yeager… she's my father's sister or something, right?"

Dante rose an eyebrow at Eren's sudden conclusion before he shrugged it off. **"Hell if I know, but Anne was from Marley and it was a long-distance relationship between her and my brother at first, before they moved in together."**

"Marley? What's that?" Eren frowned in confusion as he looked at Dante for answers. The man in red looked at Eren as if he just grew a second head or something.

**"What do you mean, 'what's that'? Marley is a place, you moron." **Dante said with a frown, confused with how Eren was acting. Didn't he know about Marley? **"Pay attention to maps next time, kid. It'll help you not to get lost in the future."**

Eren looked at him with a frown of his own. There must be something that Dante wasn't telling him. "I don't know what you're talking about, Dante. There's no district or village named Marley within the walls. There's only Shiganshina, Trost, Stohess and a few other districts but there's nothing named Marley among them."

**"I'm not talking about within the walls, kid!"** Dante said in an annoyed tone. While he normally got on Vergil's nerves, karma seemed to target him as the son of his brother was now getting on his own. **"It's a goddamn place OUTSIDE these walls! It's a freakin' continent, for gods' sake! You're an even bigger idiot than me, kiddo!"**

Eren glared at Dante for that particular remark in the end. That was something he won't let himself get called. "What do you mean, 'outside the walls'?! You're the bigger idiot than me! You're out of your mind! Nobody has ever gotten out of the walls but one day, we will!" he screamed back.

Dante grinned dangerously as he stepped forward towards Eren, who remained indifferent despite his expression. **"Listen here, you little fuck… I'm gonna —!"** It then hit him. When the people here used to stare at him weirdly, to the titans roaming the land outside the walls, the lack of technology and now, Eren was telling him that nobody had ever gotten out of the walls.

Everything finally made sense.

Dante's eyes widened as he froze. _**"What the hell is going on here in this place?"**_ he thought in confusion. He had never encountered something like this before. _**"How can they not know of anything that's outside the walls? Something's up here. I initially thought those titans just stranded the people here and they're waiting to be rescued… but no, they're… living in ignorance."**_

"Dante, what are you planning now?" Eren asked with a scowl, he had a feeling that the older man would try the same trick he did earlier when he fell face-first to the floor. He was then caught off guard when Dante immediately grabbed both his shoulders as he knelt down to the same height as himself, a dumbfounded expression mixed with confusion could be seen on his face.

**"Listen up kid, you remember how I told you earlier that you were living in a fantasy? That demons are about to knock on your doorstep any second now? Guess what? You're all living in a literal fantasy. All of the people here, including you, have no idea what's happening outside these walls." **Eren looked both confused and shocked and the same time. **"Listen to me kid, there's a world beyond these walls you're living in. There are many other places in the world aside from this one. I wasn't even born here, if you want proof. Compared to all the other places out there, this is just a tiny island you're all living in. You're all living in ignorance. The technology outside of the walls is even more advanced compared to this place. You need to wake up kid, and realize that this island isn't all that there is in the world. If you stay ignorant, then you're all going to be cornered and killed by both the titans and demons."**

"But…" Eren tried to argue, yet his expression were failing him. He himself could see the truth in Dante's words. Has he been ignorant himself all this time? Even though he always preached about getting out of the walls and killing the titans? "There's no record of humans outside the walls… textbooks always say… that they've been wiped out by the titans…"

Dante nodded, understanding the situation. **"Then the titans aren't the main problem here. Something is happening within these walls that's preventing the people from knowing what's outside. If I'm correct, the information in those textbooks is given by a higher power, do you have an idea on who's in charge of everything within these walls?"**

Eren looked down, as his body went on autopilot. There was too much information going on in his mind that he could collapse or something. "The Capital… in Wall Sina… The King… he's in charge of everything…"

**"Then you need to get to that capital, kid. You need to find out what is going on there that's keeping these people ignorant. You have to because if you don't, everyone here will die. Everyone you love, they'll be killed or eaten. Don't tell anyone about this for now, or they'll think you've gone out your mind. This is something you have to figure out on your own. The fate of the people inside these walls rests in your hands now, kid."**

"But what can I do?! I'm just a normal kid, Dante! No, I… I don't even know what I am! I can't do any of that, I'm sorry. I'm not the guy you're looking for, Dante… I'm just not cut for it." Eren stated sadly. Truth be told, he did want to do his part and help the people here in any way he can, even if he had to do what Dante said. But then again, what _can _he do? Because the only truth was that he was like every other person here. Ignorant to the truth that was the world beyond the walls.

Dante smirked. **"Wrong. You're not a normal kid at all."** Eren looked up at him in confusion. **"Come to think of it, we never got to finish my story earlier, so let's finish it now okay?" **The boy couldn't even let out a proper answer because Dante spoke immediately without letting Eren talk but the kid listened on nonetheless. **"As I was saying earlier, my brother Vergil and Anne Yeager got together and made a family of their own. My brother was happy, because he could finally live the life he wasn't able to. But no, the demons can't give us a break."**

"No way…" Eren breathed out.

**"Yeah… anyway, it turned out that Mundus' control over Vergil was still there, and he accidentally killed Anne because of it. I could've saved both of them, but I was too late. By the time I got there, Vergil was already crying for her, blaming himself for what happened." **Dante's eyes looked downtrodden as he remembered that day. **"Then all of a sudden, he entrusted his child to me, while he charged to the underworld to get revenge on Mundus. His child's name…" **Dante then looked at Eren. **"...was Nero."**

Although he was caught off guard, Eren didn't say anything after that. However, he definitely knew what it meant. He remembered how Dante kept on referring to him with the same name earlier, but he didn't say anything _yet_. It might be better to listen some more before he'll say something.

**"I went back to my agency with Nero, and I saw it in ruin. The place was attacked by demons while I was gone. While I stood inside the trashed place, one demon snuck behind me and stabbed me through the heart with the sword that belonged to my father. I was supposed to heal that wound like always, but it became my death flag since the sword that stabbed me was my father's. Only fitting that someone more powerful than me can kill me."**

"Does that mean… you're dead now?" Eren asked in a shaky voice.

**"Well yeah, but hang on, I'm not done yet." **Dante answered in his nonchalant tone. **"Using whatever strength I had left, I transformed into my demon form and killed the demons there, before I flew up with Nero and searched for a place where I can leave him before the demons can lay a hand on him. That's when I noticed this island. Looking at a map, it's pretty small and with reverse psychology, the demons won't suspect that I left Nero in a place where he can be easily found." **He crossed his arms and smirked, while Eren could only gulp. He had a feeling where this was going, and he just needed the final closure. **"With that in mind, I also saw titans roaming the land outside the walls. I've heard about them from Anne, so I had some regrets about leaving Nero in a place where demons aren't the problem, but instead, a new threat. After I flew across the outer wall, I transformed back and I landed in Shiganshina, in search of a place where Vergil's kid can grow up properly. I felt myself getting weaker and weaker with every second, so I left Nero at the doorstep of the nearest house to me. Who would have thought it would be you… Eren Yeager?" **Dante chuckled, calling the boy with the name he's gotten used to for a long time.

Eren looked down at his hands, slowly coming to realize everything that Dante told him. "So… that's it? I'm… the son of your brother… the son of Vergil… you're… my uncle… and… Sparda…" he slowly contemplated, before he remembered something. "Then what about my arm? Did Vergil had an arm like mine?" he asked.

Dante exhaled and shook his head. **"As far as I'm concerned, this is the first time I've seen a case like this. Your pops did tell me that he sensed a great amount of demonic power sleeping within your arm when you were born, so I knew about it. We called it the Devil Bringer, since it had to have a name." **That was a lie. Vergil felt there was no need to name the arm, and Dante insisted because it would be boring if it had a unique look, but had no name. He then put his hands on his hips and nodded several times. **"Rest assured, this arm of yours is special and unique. Its power is in your hands now, and only you can utilize and control it."**

Eren thought about what Dante just said, as his mind drifted back to what happened in Shiganshina. It was thanks to this Devil Bringer, which was his arm, that he was able to save his mom if not all three of them, himself and Hannes included. But then he remembered the look that both adults shared when they looked at him back then. They looked _afraid _of him, not just from his arm, but like his whole self. It's as if they were looking at a monster in a child's body.

**"I know what you're thinking," **Dante said as Eren looked at him. **"You think you're an outcast of society, and that you don't belong here because of what you are. You just want to be a normal kid like everyone else. I know since I went through the same dilemma as you. I'll tell you this, though. Don't treat your arm or your true heritage as something to be ashamed of." **The boy stared down at his right arm once again, before slowly clenching his fist, regaining his determined look. **"Use it as a strength, and as a means to protect those who you love and care for."**

With a look of determination on his face, Eren nodded which gave Dante the exact answer he was looking for. Looks like despite being Vergil's kid, he had no problem expressing human emotions unlike his father. The man in the red coat grinned widely before clearing his throat so he could speak once more.

**"Good call, kid. From here on out, how you do things is up to you." **Dante gave him a thumbs-up. **"Just remember what I told you and make sure you do it. The fate of the people inside the walls depends on whether or not you succeed, but I believe you would. You have to hide your arm too, or it'll be trouble. The reason demons will hunt you is because of Sparda's blood running through your veins. The demons despise our kind, but if you cover your arm so that no one notices it, the less chances of you attracting demons."**

Eren raised his arm and looked at it, before imagining the Devil Bringer in its place. "I get what you want me to do, but…" He turned back at Dante with a look of doubt. "Can I really do all of those with just using _this _arm? I know you said that my father, Vergil, sensed power in my arm but… I don't think it's enough." Instead of looking saddened though, Eren simply frowned to express his disappointment.

**"Hey Nero, is that all that you're worried about?"** the older man asked with a silly look on his face, going back to calling the by his original name. Eren didn't say anything, so Dante just continued. **"You don't need to worry about only that arm of yours, because you have a little package from your pops that'll help you in your little adventure. Consider it your first and last birthday present from him, so make sure to treasure his gift." **Dante smiled and looked at Eren's right hand.

The boy looked down at his hand, before a quick flash of light suddenly shined into his eyes, temporarily blinding him as Eren blinked a few times to regain his normal sight. He then felt that he was carrying something heavy that he needed both of his hands to lift it up, and he widened his eyes at what he saw.

**"That's your father's weapon, the Yamato." **Dante explained, eyeing the katana that Eren struggled to lift up by its scabbard. **"A katana that is so sharp that it cut through anything, even through dimensions. It's also said that it has the powerful ability to separate man from devil, when Sparda used it to seal the gate to the underworld. When my brother entrusted you to me, his final will if he doesn't come back alive from the underworld, was for the Yamato to be sealed into your arm. Now, it's yours."**

While he admired how the sword looked clean and sleek, Dante mentioning that it was now his snapped Eren out of it as he looked at his uncle in shock. "Wait, what? I don't even know how to use it the right way, I might end up hurting someone else! Can't you teach me before you give it to me, Dante?" Also, even though he never really got to meet his father in person, it made the boy slightly sad that that moment will never come.

**"Nope, that sword has never been my expertise anyway." **Dante shook his head in amusement. **"And I wouldn't worry about it. When the Yamato sealed itself into your arm, along with it is a piece of your father's power and knowledge. You see, our weapons were a big part of us that it became synonymous with ourselves. You may not feel it right now, but once time passes, your father's knowledge and skill in using the Yamato will be passed on to you. All you have to do while that is happening is to train your physical self to become stronger than before, unless you want to fight demons while still holding the thing that way." **Dante said, referring to how Eren carried the katana with both hands, before it disappeared in a flash of light. Eren looked confused and he was about to ask Dante where did the Yamato disappear to, his uncle was already of him. **"If you want to summon it, just focus hard and think of it while holding out your hand. Your weapons are sealed in your Devil Bringer, but you can bring them out anytime."**

Eren nodded slowly and closed eyes, before they snapped open once again as he looked at Dante in confusion. "Weapons?" he asked in curiosity.

**"That's right." **Dante smirked and crossed his arms. **"You'll also be getting your birthday present from your Uncle Dante… like your pops, my final will when I left you with your foster parents was that if I didn't come back from the underworld alive, my sword and my two guns would also be sealed in your right arm. To add to that, I also sealed some of my power away in your arm before I left, which is the reason why I'm here right now."**

"Then, where is it?" Eren asked as he reached out his arm and waited for the flash of light to come, but it didn't.

Dante laughed. **"You just have to do one thing, kid."** His expression then turned serious all of a sudden, with the look in his eyes becoming scary to look at. **"Take back what you said about me being old."**

Eren looked surprised at Dante's strange request before nodding. "Alright, alright, I take it back." Almost immediately, Dante's demeanor changed and went back to his smiling self earlier.

**"That wasn't so hard, was it?" **The man in red grinned before he started laughing and for the first time since arriving here, Eren let out a small smile. **"Okay, okay, that's about everything… you can go back now."**

"What?" Eren raised a brow.

**"I already explained to you everything you needed to know and I already told you. From here on out, everything you do is of your own choices. Just… remember the little mission I told you about, okay?"**

"But I…" Eren tried to speak out.

**"You're asking for my weapons? Kid, give me some slack and let me spend one more time with my babies. I'm giving them away to you forever, anyway!" **Dante exclaimed with a comical teary face that made Eren sweat-drop.

"Uh no, I… I was going to ask how can I leave this place. And if I do, can I even see you again? What if I have questions about demons that need to be answered?"

**"Oh, if that's what you're worried about, then it's easy. I told you earlier that all of this is happening in your head, right? So, just focus hard enough on waking up and you'll find your way back. Now, are we going to see each other again? I'm not sure myself. To be honest, I never even expected us to have this little meeting so I don't know how to answer that. If I have a say in it, I'd like it if we can meet again here in case you do need to ask questions. But right now, you have to understand that you'll be on your own in this. I don't mean that you can't work with others anymore, I'm talking about that little mission I told you about earlier. Only you know about it."**

Eren looked troubled with Dante's answer that he averted his gaze to the side, unsure if he can do just that without his help.

**"Take care, Nero. Adios." **Dante smiled and made a finger salute in farewell and Eren was about to reach out to him again, since he felt like he wasn't ready yet, only for his vision to go blurry as everything was starting to fade to black. Dante was already gone. The boy looked like he was about to pass out, and he did. But before he could even hit the floor, he was already out of there.

* * *

Eren rose up from the grass, slowly waking up from a deep slumber. He was back to the real world. He remembered everything that happened, from Grisha taking him here, to using a weird injection on him, to his talk with Dante in his mind despite the words of his now-adoptive father saying that his memories will most likely be affected.

He quickly looked at his arm, and saw it just the same as it was before meeting Dante. Eren narrowed his eyes seriously, he had to hide this from everyone else, now knowing what it really was and what it can do. It seems even Dante didn't know it can _exactly_ do, and it would be up to him alone to find out.

Temporarily forgetting about what he wanted to do even before he met the devil hunter inside his mind, Eren searched along the ground for the white cloth that Hannes gave him to wrap it up around his arm again. Luckily for him, it was just behind him as he crawled over and started to wrap it around his arm again.

_"Dante was telling the truth all along, wasn't he?" _Eren thought to himself, before looking down sadly. _"It means… my mom isn't also real mother… my real mom… is dead too…"_ He shook his head to keep himself from having those thoughts. _"No… no, she may not be my real mom but… for years, she's been like one to me. Adopted or not, she treated me like her own. I'm going to talk with her about this later… sorry, Dante. But if I'm going to do what you told me to do, then I need to be in the Military first. And to do that, I need my mom_ _to let me." _He then finished wrapping his arm up and was about to stand, only for him to notice a bloody hand on the ground just ahead of him. Eren looked confused for a moment, before it came crashing down on him.

His father injected him with something…

He felt something weird that time…

Grisha's crying…

Everything going black…

"No…" Eren breathed out with a terrified face, before the life went out of him as he fainted into unconsciousness.

* * *

_**Another chapter done! This was solely dedicated to explaining everything to Eren, and now he is aware of many things!**_

_**First, the legend of Sparda and demons. Now he knows they exist, but when will they show up? Wall Maria has been breached now, they could show up any time and he has the Devil Bringer awakened too. That will surely attract the demons. Eren has to train before that time comes, if he wants to protect his people against the demons.**_

_**Second, Marley. Okay, I know that this is going to be fully different from the manga to those who follow the source material, but there's a reason for this. In canon, Eren became depressed when they reached the ocean because he thought it was freedom beyond the walls, but it's not. Here, Dante kills any possibility of that ever happening now that Eren knows that there are other places outside of the walls. This will also allow Eren to become less of an angry, determined boy like in canon and open up more since he now knows what they're fighting for. HOWEVER, the mystery in the basement is still unknown. Eren is just aware now that they aren't the only ones in the world. The seeds have been planted, now he has to figure out everything else.**_

_**Third, his real family. Okay, Anne Yeager is not just a simple character I created to give Vergil a woman to settle down with. That last name isn't for nothing. She is connected to Grisha, but I'm not telling how… yet. You have to wait for it. This is REALLY important, especially to those who read the manga like me.**_

_**To make it clear, yes, Eren transformed into a titan and ate his father. You know what that means in canon. However, that didn't last long because Dante 'removed' the serum from his body. Does this mean his titan power is gone? Stay tuned to find out.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	5. A Mother's Love

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

When Eren finally came to his senses, he found himself lying on a warm blanket as he noticed that he was finally back at the refugee camp. He sat up and gently held his head, feeling a jolt of pain in his mind that was enough to bother him. He turned and saw his mom still leaning against the wall, although she was asleep and had her hand within someone else's hair.. Beside her was Mikasa, who was sleeping peacefully as well; apparently, it looked like the older woman put her to sleep before succumbing to it as well.

Despite his headache, the scene was beside him was still able to put a small smile on Eren's face. It just showed that Mikasa was starting to become comfortable with Carla; that was something that she needed to have though, if she was really serious in sticking with him and his family.

Eren then slapped his hand against his forehead, the mild headache somehow becoming worse. He grunted several times, trying to suppress the pain he felt. However, that failed horribly when a memory from not too long ago started to fill his mind. He clearly remembered what Grisha did to him, talking to Dante and everything he learned from the devil hunter. What suddenly popped into his mind though, was something that happened after those…

_A bloody hand on the ground._

It all came back to him like a meteor crashing to the ground. What he saw after speaking with Dante… what he realized after seeing _that _bloody object on the ground… what's left of Grisha's words in his head… and how Dante talked about an 'unstable' serum entering his body. If he had never talked to Dante before he realized it, he would be bawling his eyes right now and cry himself to sleep. What he didn't understand though, was why did his dad choose to inject a serum into him, while knowing its effects and the fact that he was going to be eaten? This was another mystery he needed to solve.

But compared to _everything _that he learned and found out from the devil hunter, this was just another mystery that he had to get to the bottom of. Finding out that he turned into a titan couldn't really compare to when Dante told him that there was a world beyond the walls. To be fair, titans did have human faces despite being considered as mindless monsters. Could this mean that the titans were once humans but somehow turned into giant beings?

That was a story that he needs to push aside for now but at the very least… Eren could be glad that he wasn't really a demon, now that he knows about their existence and despite the demon blood running through his veins. If he had to ask himself, he would say that demons were worse than titans and a prime example of that would be Mundus, from what he learned while listening to Dante's life. There were too many mysteries surrounding the titans for now and he needed to look into it, but demons are who they are. Except for Sparda, of course. Even Dante didn't know what titans are, and he didn't say they were some special kind of demons or anything.

Right now, Eren was focused on three particular goals in his mind. One was to have a meaningful talk with his mother about the truth, the other was to train himself starting now like what Dante said so that, when he finally joins the military which was his third goal, he'll have some experience going into the boot camp. He might be focusing on training to be able to fight demons for now, but the titans were still his enemy and he needed to prepare for them as well.

"Eren? You're awake?"

The white-haired boy turned, as he saw his mother slowly waking up. He only nodded in response, and Carla beckoned him to come closer. Eren did so, as she gave him a small kiss on the top of his head. After that, she made him turn to look at her before speaking again.

"Sweetie, what happened out there?" she asked with an expression that had both confusion and worry. "When you got carried back here, a soldier told me that you were found unconscious in the forest. And where did your father run off to? He didn't even say he was going away again."

"Mom…" he began, looking down for a moment before turning to face her. This was it. But seriously, why didn't he notice it before? His hair color was entirely different from his parents and most likely everyone else, that was the most obvious sign. Was it because no one bothered to comment about it?

"…is it true that you and dad found me on the doorstep of our home?" he asked, straight to the point like he always is. Almost immediately, the color from his mother's face slowly started to disappear which already confirmed Eren's suspicion. Dante was telling the truth.

"And where… And where did you get that sudden question from, Eren?" she asked with a nervous voice, her eyes telling the whole story.

Okay… now that was something that he had no answer to. He was so focused on getting the straight answer that he didn't think of anything that his mom would ask him in return. Maybe a simple lie would be enough for now? He was planning to tell her the whole story everything later on, anyway.

Yeah… even the part where he had the blood of a demon inside him… everything about demons too.

Sorry, Dante.

"Because… Because… Because Dad told me something like that before he… went away." he lied, while also trying not to sound nervous. That would give it away. Also, that last part wasn't a _complete _lie. Grisha did leave them, but not in the literal sense. He was also going to tell her about that later on…

Turning his attention back to his mother, Carla already had tears forming in her eyes as she covered her mouth with both her hands. For a moment he felt bad for asking and was about to apologize but Carla beat him to it.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry Eren! Please… Please forgive me for hiding it from you! I didn't mean to!" Eren froze when his mom quickly pulled him into a hug and whisper-shouted into his ear. He glanced to the side and could only sigh in relief that Mikasa didn't wake up from that. Turning his head back to Carla, he looked a bit distraught for doing this but he knew that he had to.

"Mom… what are you doing?" he feigned ignorance just as Carla broke the hug and looked into her son's eyes. Wait, can she even call him that after this? "Oi… why are you crying?"

She wiped off some of her tears but they kept on coming, and at that point Eren was starting to reconsider his actions. Nevertheless, Carla then looked to the side before she spoke. "Your father… he…he's right, I'm… I'm not your mother, Eren… your father… he's not your real one either…" she said through her tears. Eren didn't change his expression as if he was expecting it, yet he listened fully well to everything Carla said. "Eleven years ago… we found you on the doorstep…"

_The sound of footsteps outside made Carla think there was someone at the door. They rarely received any visitors or guests, but when they do, it was usually just the patients that Grisha attends to so it was all business. There was no one that bothered to greet them, or even drop by for a cup of tea._

_She didn't have any hope for guests though, by now she was used to having her husband's patients over. It's not as if she didn't like them, it just felt like their home was starting to be like a real clinic if it kept happening._

_Opening the door, she frowned upon seeing that there was nobody there. What were those footsteps she was hearing then? Probably street kids who do nothing but cause mischief everywhere… Oh well, she should just head back inside and —_

_Her eyes barely, just barely, caught a glance of something on the doorstep and she was quick to notice what it was. A large basket with a pink cloth covering its contents, or at least most of it. Something was sticking out from the end of it, but she couldn't make out what it was. Curiosity filled the woman. Was someone nice enough to leave a package or something? If that was the case, why didn't that person stay until she got outside? She would've invited him/her to tea and thank that person for doing such a thing._

_Anyway, she bent down and lifted up the cloth to see what was inside. Hopefully, it would be food or something that can help her and Grisha in the long-running, since it was getting hard to balance paying taxes and buying their everyday needs. She's not asking for it, but it would be infinitely better if there was some meat inside._

_However, as she took off the cloth, her eyes slowly widened at what she saw… _

_A little toddler._

_Inside a basket._

_Ignoring the weird patch of white hair on the baby's head, Carla, almost instantly, dropped the cloth that she was holding. Did someone really left a child on their doorstep? First of all, she suddenly had the urge to punch whoever left an innocent baby here and second, why was she having the sudden intention of taking the child with her and hug the little kid as if there was no tomorrow?_

_Why the sudden urge? She could've asked herself that question but Carla solely had her attention on the sleeping infant before her, while everything else around her._

_Then it clicked in her mind. The child was left here by someone for a reason, right? Someone would _dare _be heartless enough to leave an innocent baby out here without anyone to take care of him. Poor little guy, if only someone can take him in and give him that care and love he deserves…_

_Without a second thought, Carla carefully took the baby in her arms and turned around, calling for her husband to come outside with her. She already had tears forming in her eyes as she realized that the dream she had desired for so long, was finally becoming a reality. It hurt her a ton when she find out that she wasn't able to become pregnant, which robbed her the opportunity of being a mother. There might be a chance to change that now…_

_Grisha answered his wife's calls as he went to the door, where he saw her donning the biggest smile she has mustered in years as she held a sleeping baby in her arms._

"...we actually waited for a few days to see if someone was going to look for you, but no one did. We decided to take care of you ourselves, because… I always wanted a baby of my own, but then I…" Carla said with a sad tone before coming to a stop, since she didn't want to come back to the single truth that was she can't get pregnant and Eren was nothing more than a desperate wish of her that came as a miracle.

"Mom…?" he called out to her, and Carla looked at him with a sad look. "It…It's fine." he assured with a small nod. "You're still my mom and… you always will be. You took me in without question and… never asked for anything in return. I can't be more grateful for that." he smiled afterwards, and it only caused Carla to shed more tears before hugging her son close. Despite learning the truth, Eren still saw her as his mother, and she couldn't have asked for anything more.

However this time, it was Eren who willingly broke off their embrace as he looked a bit distressed. After he just reassured Carla that nothing changed and he still saw her as his mom, was she going to do the same for him? If not, well, at least it was nice knowing someone cared for him in the past years… right?

"I need to tell you something too… it's about me." he said bluntly.

"What is it, dear?" she asked, wiping away her tears.

He looked at her with pleading eyes. "It might change the way you see and think about me, but… please hear me out until the end. And please…please don't tell anyone else what you hear from me. This is something I'm going to reveal only to you… because… you're my mom and I feel I can trust you."

"All right, what is it you need to tell me?" Her worry grew again, fearing that this was something that was truly serious, considering how Eren looked just now. But he was right, she _was_ his mom and he could open up to her whenever he wanted. If he wanted her to keep a secret as well, so be it.

Eren took a deep breath and went to explain everyhing; starting from the legend of Sparda and his existence, to his sons and their dysfunctional relationship, to their eventual reconciliation and later lives, which all led to the birth of one Eren Yeager, or his real name, Nero. Though it was hard to reveal, Eren made sure to emphasize that he only had demon blood in him, and there was still a significant part of him that was human. He also said that his right arm was the source of his power, which led to its remarkable change yesterday.

However, Eren intentionally left out the part where he met Dante in his mind as well as him turning into a titan that ate his father. He felt that it would give his mom a heart attack because of too much shock, and well, because just the mention of 'titans' was enough to drive anyone crazy. He would be lucky if Carla can understand and accept that he was part-demon, but the same couldn't be surely said if he was a titan. He also made sure not to mention anything about 'Marley' or the the 'outside world' as Dante told him to do, and he simply opted to say that Anne Yeager was a family member of Grisha in Wall Sina.

For Carla, to say that she was shocked would be an understatement. She wanted to think this was just a dream and that she would wake up, but everything Eren said made too much sense. The white hair on his head, his mysterious right arm, and the story of how he ended up on their doorstep eleven years ago. She was having time processing everything in her mind that everything was silent between them for the next few moments, and Eren simply let her absorb the information.

It remained silent before Eren felt that he could finally speak up. He needed to find out what his mother feels about this, before he would go to his second point. "Are you…Are you afraid of me?" he asked with a worried tone. "Do…Do you think I'm an evil person for being… like _them_?"

His words seemed to have an impact on Carla as she was brought out of her trance and looked at Eren in confusion. "What? No! No, I would never think of you as an evil person, Eren. You're my son, and you always will be." Her words managed to surprise the boy, since he was expecting her to at least have a common reaction like fear or even worry. She put her hand on her forehead before closing her eyes. "It's just… I'm taking time to take all of this in, this is too much for me to handle." She looked at Eren and stared straight into his eyes. "But you should know this Eren… what you are on the outside doesn't define you as a whole. You might be a demon but I'm going to look past that. It's what you are and what you choose to be on the _inside_ that matters. Even if you're a demon, you're still my son and I know that you are a good person inside. So all of it doesn't matter to me… even if your arm is like that." she finished with a smile, before placing her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way.

Eren wanted to cry after hearing those words from his mom, because she completely went against what he expected her to be like after he explained. He wanted nothing more than to hug and be close to his mother after that, but he had to keep it together, otherwise he might never get another opportunity.

"T-Thanks, mom… I… I don't know I can ever make it up to you…" he hung his head low, but there was clearly a smile on his face if looked at closely.

"Don't be. I'm just doing my responsibility as your mother, that's all." Carla smiled, finally coming back to normal after the state of shock she went through earlier. Looks like that need of assurance by her son was enough for her to forget about it.

"Then that means… I can go to my next point." Carla raised a brow. "There's something else I have to tell you."

Carla rolled her eyes playfully and sighed. "It can't be worse than you being a demon, right? So, what is it you want to tell me?"

"I'm joining the military."

Actually, that was worse than Eren being part-demon… maybe?

"What?" was all that she could muster.

"I'm joining the military… whether you like it or not," he added for good measure.

Her face suddenly became more serious. "Eren, you know that we already talked —" she tried to answer, but was cut off.

"I _have _to." he made sure to emphasize 'have' as if he was saying that the military needed him. "Now that you know about demons and their existence, you know exactly why I'm doing this, mom. I have a responsibility to fulfill." Yeah, he would join the military and train to fight titans but at the same time, he would be there to fend off against demons if they ever show up. Carla shook her head and closed her eyes, trying to avoid the truth in that thought.

"I can't… I don't want to lose you." she tried to argue, but it was more of like being desperate to avoid losing her son. "You're my son and… you're all that I have, Eren. I just can't agree with it."

"If you're about it being dangerous, then you don't have to worry. I'll be fine." She sent him a look that said she doesn't believe him. "It may not be much, but I have demon blood in me. You see my arm?" he raised his right arm to give her a clear view. "You said that the choices we make is what defines us as a person, and I'm making a choice, mom. I'll use this power to protect the people I care about and save others. The only way for me to be able to do that is by joining the military." Carla looked down, unable to give an answer to that. "Also, Mikasa has my back just to let you know."

That made her jolt up in surprise. "Mikasa?"

"She's joining the military too." When he saw his mother about to open her mouth, he quickly cut her off. "She's making a choice for herself too, mom… so you should let her decide what she wants to do. If she wants to join the military, then let her. It's of her own —"

"All right, all right, I get it!" she stopped him there, nearly raising her voice out of slight irritation. She wanted to tell Eren that she was his mother and he had to listen to her since he was still young, but she couldn't. She clearly understood the meaning behind her son's words and she honestly hated it. But at the same time, she felt a bit proud to see Eren acting mature at a young age, which was a sign of growing up.

Leaning forward, she grasped the boy's shoulders and pulled him close. "But you have to promise me one thing, Eren." she said, her voice becoming more of a whisper. "You have to be careful, okay? You and Mikasa look have to look out for each other at all costs, especially for her. She's not like you, Eren. She's just a human with limits." Eren nodded, understanding Mikasa's situation just as Carla had tears in her eyes again. "And if you see something bigger than you or if you can't handle it, just run away, Eren. You don't need to throw yourself so recklessly, okay? If you can't handle it, just run. Please… you have to stay safe… I… I don't want to lose my son… I don't want him to go away…"

Eren nodded. "I understand." he replied and with that, Carla pulled him in for another hug. This time, Eren was contented with what just transpired that he returned the hug and leaned against her, eventually falling back into sleep.

* * *

After dropping the shocking truth to his mother, two years waiting for the opportunity to enlist in the military flew by for Eren. Sometimes, things got interesting and sometimes, it was depressing. Carla was given a single crutch so she can finally move around on her own, because her right leg sustained less lasting damage than her left one. It allowed her to take care of her children again, because she didn't want to be a crippled old woman forever who was better off dead.

Speaking of children, Carla would treat Mikasa like a real daughter despite not being related to her at all and that made the girl feel indebted to her at a massive level. Carla insisted that Mikasa didn't owe her anything and that she simply wanted the girl to live properly while she was still alive. Although there were a few times where she would tease Mikasa about repaying her back by marrying Eren, after noticing that her son had a soft spot for her despite his usually cool demeanor, emphasized when he would smile and laugh with her every time they bonded. This would always embarrass her whenever it happened, while it annoyed Eren since it was only, as he quoted, "concern and care for a dear friend".

While Eren would spend every morning spending time with Armin and Mikasa, help his mom in any way, or just rest and sleep, he began to train himself alone in the same forest where Grisha took him during the afternoon at a daily basis. Dante had told him to train so that he would be able to use his father's weapon efficiently, and maybe even Dante's weapons. Mikasa and Armin would always be curious and ask what was he doing during the afternoon, but Carla would be there for him and come up with a reasonable excuse herself. Plus, he replaced the cloth that covered his arm with a bandage, only taking it off when he was going to train.

Six months into his training, Eren felt that he was physically ready to wield Yamato and he tried summoning it in his hand the way Dante told him to, but was shocked to find a large grey double-edged broadsword with a skull design instead. This caused the boy to find himself with Dante again a few seconds later, having pulled Eren into his subconscious so they could talk.

He then explained that Eren had summoned the Rebellion instead of the Yamato, Dante's sword that had the powerful ability to awaken the demonic power inside an individual. Dante revealed that it was him who made the sword show up in Eren's hand, before telling that the boy needed it in order to awaken his demonic side, and that physical training is not enough to do that. After his death too, the Rebellion went back to its dormant state since it needed his blood to be awakened.

Eren paled immediately when Dante told he needed to stab himself with the sword in order to awaken his power, before asking if there was another way since he didn't want to take the risk. Dante told him that it was either that or jump off a building or maybe even the wall but since those two weren't available options, stabbing himself was the only way. He assured Nero that he would heal the wound and that he wouldn't die from it since the same thing happened to him already, but Eren was hesitant.

Finally, Eren decided to get it over with; taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he stabbed himself with the Rebellion and screamed out in pain before feeling a surge of power flow into his body, that it was too much for a child with not that much physical training fit for someone like him. The last thing Eren saw his left arm transforming its appearance into that of a demon's, similar to what his right arm looked.

He woke up in his subconscious state of mind, meeting with Dante again as the devil hunter explained how his nephew transformed into his demon form, better known as the **Devil Trigger** which heightens all of his demonic powers and making him stronger. He then went on to tell Eren that the training he was doing was not enough because the sign that he was ready to wield either the Rebellion or Yamato is once surpasses a human's limits. Dante offered to show Nero the right way in training himself, at the risk of using up the remaining power that he left in the boy's arm, likely resulting in the devil hunter's complete disappearance in the future.

Nero wanted to refuse since he felt like he needed Dante to guide him along the way, until he remembered what his uncle told him about doing things his own way from now on, which led to the young boy realizing that he has his own path to follow.

Eren agreed to Dante's offer and the older man smirked, since he was looking for that exact answer from his nephew. The next thing that Eren knew was that he woke up in the real world a few seconds after accepting, before noticing that his body was back to normal with the wound from his earlier stabbed already healed. The Rebellion was still in his hand as it changed form, once again awakening from its dormant state. He then heard Dante's voice speaking in his mind, and Eren's training continued.

The following year was tough times for Eren but in the end, it all paid off. If he could describe it, he basically went through "hell itself" while training under Dante, and was ready to give up multiple times but he never let the temptation win, his will and resolve stronger than the tears he shed. The devil hunter didn't go easy on him at all, wanting to push his nephew past the boundaries of a human's limits.

Needless to say, the results were the fruit of Eren's hard work. He was now able to summon and wield both Yamato and Rebellion with some skill, but not to his father's and Dante's level. He would reach that point eventually, but he was still learning for now. Nero also managed to recreate some of his family's abilities, including his father's **Air Trick** and Dante's taunting/sarcasm (was this even an ability though?). Dante didn't do anything about Eren's **Devil Trigger** yet despite the boy insisting that he wanted to know more, which annoyed him that the older man was hiding something, but what could that be? In truth, Dante was slightly afraid that Nero might get attracted too much to the power of the **Devil Trigger **and end up lusting for it like what happened to his father. He'll need to see if Eren is anything like that before coming to a decision.

More importantly, Dante managed to pass on to Eren the beauty and art of the pizza while he trained the kid, and the devil hunter could only shed comical tears of joy when Nero immediately fell in love the moment he tasted it. Although it wasn't the real thing since it only happened in his mind, Eren could still feel the taste of pizza in his mouth and it left him wanting more after only one bite. The young boy tackled Dante to the ground and greedily asked for more of that "heavenly taste", but the devil hunter told him that Eren would have to find or even make one for himself, since they were only in his mind. Eren made it one of his personal missions from there, and knew it would be hard. Bread was the only resource he could use right now because it was the daily food of the refugees in Trost, while cheese had to be processed from livestock and meat was a luxurious food. It made Dante laugh because the kid's reaction reminded him of himself, but it also made him feel bad for Nero since he lived in a place where pizza is next to an impossible dream. Glad he wasn't born there…

Outside of training, the less interesting and even depressing things happened for Eren. There was a shortage of food due to the massive number of refugees from Wall Maria, though Eren didn't mind much. Having demon blood allowed him to survive and live even with scarcity in food, but he was worried for his mom, Mikasa and Armin. They were human unlike him, and they needed food to stay healthy and survive.

To solve it, the government sent thousands of refugees beyond Wall Rose to scavenge the land for food. It was nothing more than a scheduled massacre, due to the goverment's inability to handle the situation. The event caused Eren to become more determined in finding out what's going on behind the scenes in the Royal Capital.

Armin even lost his grandfather in during that phenomenon, which pushed him in wanting to enlist in the military with Eren and Mikasa. His decision alarmed Carla and attempted to make the blonde boy change his mind, but eventually relented. Food was never a shortage for them as time passed, since Eren always volunteers to get them food whenever it was available. A simple **Air Trick **was enough for him to steal away some bread for himself, Armin, Mikasa and Carla; he could only thank Dante in his mind for helping him achieve that ability.

Then finally when the year 847 arrived, he, Armin and Mikasa had enlisted in the army and were lined up with the other cadets for their first day of training that would last for the next three years.

* * *

_**That ends this chapter! I consider this as a filler one, because nothing much happens other than revealing the truth to his mom and summarizing everything else before military days. Next chapter for sure, we'll get back to the good stuff now that their military are about to begin. What can possibly happen now that Eren has an advantage in training and has some "perks" up his sleeve? Tune in next chap!**_

_**Eren's harem (Try and guess the remaining members XD):**_

_**-Mikasa**_

_**-?**_

_**-?**_

_**-?**_

_**-?**_

_**-?**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	6. Necessity

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

**Year 847, Wall Rose, 104th Training Corps**

"We now begin the enlistment ceremony for the 104th Training Corps!" a voice said, before a tall bald middle-aged man dressed in a military uniform stepped out in the open for everyone to see. "I am Keith Shadis, and I had the misfortune to be assigned to train you little shits! And I'm not here to welcome you at all! Right now, you're mere cattle! Fit for being nothing titan food! No, it's suitable to say less than cattle…"

Everyone else was listening closely to him despite his shouting. Amongst the people there were Armin, Mikasa and Eren, having changed physically after two years. Armin didn't change much in appearance, but he grew a few inches taller. Mikasa became more mature-looking and for once, wasn't wearing the scarf that Eren gave her. She came to realize it wasn't something she should be obsessed over and decided to wear it only on occassion which showed signs of her becoming more mature, but the shy and easily-embarrassed girl whom Eren and Armin met two years ago could still be seen in her eyes.

But the one who underwent the most changes in his features was the one and only son of Vergil, courtesy of his training prior to this.

"In three years, we will take you worthless pieces of crap in and train you! Give you the means to fight against the titans. In three years, when you stand before a titan… will you still be food? Or will you be a noble wall, shielding the King? Or perhaps, one of humanity's glorious soldiers that slays titans? You will decide!"

The white-haired boy, who had grown his hair longer with his bangs combed to the left side of his face, only smirked as he listened to Keith. He couldn't wait to prove himself and be able to join the Survey Corps, while also eager to improve himself even more while training here. He then looked at his bandaged right arm as well, remembering his vow to use his power to protect those he cared about and to save others.

_"Yeah… don't you worry, old man…" _he answered the instructor in his mind. _"I'll slay those titans with ease… and with them are the demons on our doorstep. So let's have some fun." _his smirk grew wider without anyone noticing.

Things were about to get more interesting from now on.

* * *

The new batch of military cadets were lined up at the courtyard wearing their uniforms standing in formation. Their military instructor Keith Shadis was walking around their lines and inspecting them, while asking questions to some particular people.

He stopped when he caught sight of Armin. "You there! What is your name?!" he asked, shouting.

Armin saluted him and began to speak with nervousness evident in his tone. "Armin Arlert from Shiganshina, sir!"

"That so? A name fit for a coward! Your parents named you that?"

"My grandfather, sir!"

"Arlert, why are you here?" he asked, leaning down near the boy's face to get a better view.

"To contribute to humanity's victory, sir!" Armin shouted back, closing his eyes.

"How admirable, you little scum. You'd make a perfect first-rate food for the titans. Row 3, about face!" He shouted, grabbing Armin by the top of his head and spinning him around before moving on.

He then stopped in front of a tall boy with short blonde and yellowish golden eyes. "And who the hell are you!" he asked, getting in the guy's face.

"**THOMAS WAGNER**, from Trost sir!" He answered back.

"I can't hear you!" Keith shouted back.

"Thomas Wag—" he tried yelling back in a louder voice, but got cut off anyway.

"I told you I can't hear you! Go practice making your voice louder in the barracks!" He yelled at the boy named Thomas before moving to a girl with low-hanging pigtails.

"Next! What is your name, puny girl!"

The girl saluted and put on a straight face, despite her nervousness. "I'm **MINA CAROLINA** from Trost, sir!"

"Wrong! You're from a pig shed, inferior even to swine!" Shadis yelled again, getting in the girl's face like he did for the others.

"Yes! I'm inferior to swine, sir!" she answered back while closing her eyes.

"Wrong again! I tell you what you are and what you aren't!"

"Yes, sir!" Shadis then left her after that, searching for another cadet whom he would ask the same questions.

"Next one!"

Whilst this was happening, another pair of instructors were walking around the cadets in a circle, observing them silently compared to Shadis' up close and personal way.

"There he goes again… when you were a trainee, you went through the same." The first man spoke. He was an older male with silver and wore a pair of glasses. Like Keith, he was wearing a military uniform that showed he was an instructor as well.

"It does bring back memories, that's for sure." The younger blonde man said. "What's the point in screaming and humiliating them, by the way? He's just tiring his own voice speaking like that until this ends."

"It's a rite of passage," the older one explained. "We forcibly tell them to discard who they are, leaving only blank slates which we raise as true soldiers. It's a necessary process for everyone who joins the military."

As they were walking, the younger man noticed something. Shadis was skipping over some cadets and didn't bother asking them. "Huh? It seems not all of them are undergoing that process, then." he said, confused.

"There's no need to do the same for those who have already underwent the rite of passage. If I had to guess, they probably walked through Hell itself during what happened two years ago. It's written all over their faces." He continued, before they eventually started walking away. "Well, let's go."

"Who the hell are you?!" Shadis continued to ask, now turning to a young man with short brown hair and an abnormally long face.

"I'm **JEAN KIRSTEIN**, from Trost, sir!" he answered.

"What are you here for?!"

Jean was surprised for a few moments, before answering. "To join the Military Police, and reside in the Inner District, sir." His answer rang through Eren's ears, who was standing in the same line as him and gaining the white-haired boy's attention in the process.

"I see. So you wanna live in the Inner District?" Shadis asked in an amused tone.

"Yes, sir." Jean answered again before he ended up receiving a headbutt from the instructor and making him fall to his knees. This caused Eren to snicker to himself, just as Shadis continued to speak.

"Who gave you permission to sit?! If you can't even handle _that_, you'll never make it to the Military Police Brigade!" Eren glanced at Jean once again, and he made a mental note to keep a close eye on the guy.

"And who the hell are you?! What did you come here for?!" Shadis immediately moved to another one with black hair and freckles on his cheeks.

"I'm **MARCO BOTT **from Jinae, in Wall Rose's Southern District, sir!" the boy said with a smile. "I came to join the Military Police and pledge myself to the King!"

"Is that so? Good man. A noble objective. But remember…" Shadis said while nodding, before leaning closer to Marco's ear, and causing the boy to frown and glance to the side. "The King doesn't give a damn about your life." he said grimly, and Marco gulped afterwards.

Shadis moved to the next line and stopped when he came across a short bald boy with yellowish eyes. "Next, you there! Who the hell are you!"

"I'm **CONNIE SPRINGER** from Ragako, in Wall Rose's Southern District, sir!" he said, while unknowingly saluting with his left arm.

"Listen up, Connie Springer!" The instructor said, grabbing the boy on both sides of his head and lifting him off the ground. "This was one of the first things you were taught… that salute means you're offering your heart to the King! Is your heart on the right side, you shithead?!" he berated Connie until he saw one female cadet doing the most shocking thing of all right in front of their instructor.

Shadis dropped Connie to the ground and turned to the girl cadet with brown hair done up in a ponytail who was currently eating a potato. Everyone looked at her with wide eyes. "Hey. What do you think you're doing?" he asked, before walking up to the her. The girl didn't answer yet she looked nervous, looking to both sides innocently as she continued to eat.

"You! I'm talking to you! Who the fuck are you?!" the instructor shouted, getting into the girl's face.

The girl finally stopped eating and gulped deeply before saluting. "I'm** SASHA BRAUS** from Dauper, in Wall Rose's Southern District, sir!" she introduced herself.

"Sasha Braus… what's that you're holding in your right hand?" Shadis asked, looking down at the object she was holding.

"A steamed potato, sir! I came across it in the kitchen, so I picked it up!" the girl answered.

"You mean you _stole_ it? Why? Why are you eating a potato right now?" he asked in a serious tone.

"I wanted to eat it while it was still warm, it doesn't taste good when it's cold. So I figured, it was now or never, sir."

"No… I don't get it. Why are you eating a potato?"

Sasha frowned in confusion. "Ehrm… are you asking people eat potatoes in general, sir?" Everyone stared at her as if she had gone crazy. After a few seconds of silence, Eren could only sigh and close his eyes, already feeling bad for her by now.

Then Sasha looked like she figured out what the instructor wanted and tore off a small piece of her potato, before holding it up for the older man. "Please take half for yourself, sir." She looked annoyed as she looked up and handed it over.

Keith took the piece and looked at her in confusion. "Half?" he asked, having no words for the girl.

Sasha only gave him a goofy smile in response.

* * *

Five hours later, Sasha could be seen running laps back and forth around the clearing. The sun was going down, and nightfall was about to come. Eren, Connie, Marco, Mina and Armin watched the girl from outside the mess hall where the other cadets were gathered.

"Hey, that potato girl's still running." Connie said in amazement.

"Five hours is no easy feat for a regular human… I like her." Eren said bluntly with a proud smile, remembering himself and what he went through when he was training under Dante.

"Seriously, Eren? I thought you had your attention on Mikasa, already?" Armin asked in confusion, misinterpreting what his friend said. Eren ignored him.

"Still, her reaction when the instructor told her to run until she dropped is nothing compared to when he told her that she's not getting any food." Marco pointed out, feeling bad for the girl.

"Dauver is a small group of hunters living in a small village in the mountains, right?" Mina asked, and Connie nodded to answer her.

"Oi, what's that?" Eren asked as he noticed a cart that was leaving the campsite.

"Some of us earlier chose to drop out and asked if they could go to the reclaimed wasteland." Mina answered him, feeling bad for those teenagers like her who were riding inside.

"But… it's only the first day of training." Armin said, both confused and surprised.

"Well, what choice do they have? If they feel they're not cut out for this, why should they even bother continuing? All they would be doing is prepare for an early death if that was the case." Eren said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Marco then turned to him. "Say, the instructor didn't ask where you're from." he said, and Eren turned to him before driving his fist into the top of Armin's head, causing the blonde boy to let out a small cry of pain.

"I'm Eren Yeager and like him, I'm from Shiganshina." he said with a smile, hiding a smirk as Armin glared at him. What, it was payback for teasing him about liking Mikasa and now Sasha.

While Mina giggled at seeing the two friends interact, Connie looked at Eren in shock. "Then… Then you were on _that_ day. You've seen… You've seen the Colossal Titan, then."

"Hey!" Marco said, about to reprimand Connie for asking such personal questions.

Eren let go of Armin and simply nodded, while also having flashbacks of the day when titans had breached through the wall. Now that he thought about it, he hasn't thought of that memory in a long time and he remembered it just now. This look didn't go past Connie and he rubbed the back of his head, looking ashamed for his mistake.

"Sorry for asking," he said.

That made the white-haired boy turn towards Connie. "No, it's fine." Eren assured him, shaking his head. "It's just been a long time since I thought of it, I may have moved on from it. Besides, everyone I care about managed to escape Shiganshina that day, so I don't have any bad memories about that place."

"Seriously? You're not angry at all that those titans took your home away from you?" Marco asked in shock.

Eren suddenly narrowed his eyes. "If you ask me, I'm a quite glad it happened." Everyone, even Armin looked at him with wide eyes. "Humanity needs a wake-up call, and know that these walls can't protect us forever. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy that those titans took over my home in the slightest bit… I'm just satisfied that people are taking more measures to protect themselves in case they come again. We either fight back with everything we've got, or die while being caged like animals."

His fellow cadets there stared at him for a few seconds, even Armin. He never knew Eren felt this way, despite being friends with him before everything else happened. Mina and Connie looked at him as if he was crazy, while Marco only gulped before he finally spoke.

"That's… That's quite the honest answer you have, Eren Yeager… I see your point but at the same time, I feel that you have no sympathy for those who lost their lives during _that_ day." Marco said while raising a brow.

"Don't think too much of it. It's just me being a dick." Eren waved him off and turned back to watching Sasha continue to run across the field.

Marco continued to look at him with suspicion, while Connie and Armin were still in surprise over what Eren said. Everything was silent between all of them before Mina noticed something different about him and decided to voice it out.

"Oh Eren, can I ask why your hair is white?" Her question seemed to have gotten the attention of said boy as he looked at Mina. "I… I just think it's a bit weird that out of everyone here in camp, you're the only one with white hair, that's all." Connie and Marco understood her question and waited for an answer from Eren. Even Armin understood and noticed he was equally curious, which was weird since he never asked about it ever since they were children.

Eren looked at her for a few moments and the silence continued, until they heard the sound of someone falling to the ground.

Looking into the clearing, Sasha finally collapsed in exhaustion and fell to the ground. Eren immediately reacted and began walking towards her with a calm expression, but not before taking one last look at the four people he was just with. "Well, looks like potato girl's finally out of it. I'm gonna go carry her to the infirmary, so… you guys go on ahead, I'll meet you inside the mess hall for dinner later."

As they watched Eren lift up Sasha bridal style and head to the infirmary, Mina crossed her arms and pouted. "Somehow I feel that he avoided answering my question on purpose," she said with a small frown.

Connie shrugged. "Same. I'll just ask him the same thing during dinner later, then." he put his hands behind his head and went inside the mess hall.

"He's gonna attract a LOT of attention while we're having dinner, if that's the case." Marco said, following Connie as he too went inside the hall.

"I agree." Armin followed shortly after them and Mina did the same thing as well.

* * *

Later that night, a small crowd of cadets were all around Eren, Armin and Mikasa's table asking questions about the breach in Shiganshina as well as what titans were like along with the Armored and Colossal titan.

His answer to those questions caught the attention of three other cadets occupying a table on their own. The first was a tall man with short blonde hair and a broad physique. The second was an even taller, yet lankier man with short black hair. The last was a girl with blonde hair held in a short ponytail and bangs hiding her right eye.

Mina even asked him the same question from earlier, and he simply answered that he was born with his white hair and he never bothered with the fact that his hair color was significantly different from all of them. Of course, he couldn't tell them that he was the son of a half-demon, right? Luckily, they seemed to be all fine with that lie he made up. What made him nervous was that Connie asked what happened to his arm that made him cover it in bandages, but he solved that rather quickly by saying he had many burns on his right arm and he didn't want to show them to anyone.

While Eren struggled to answer their questions, he noticed that Armin and Mikasa were starting to get uncomfortable from the number of cadets who were inching closer and closer to them just to ask questions, especially the raven-haired girl. Mikasa had trouble being around crowds like this, since she was a bit of an introvert.

"I just took in the fact that we are nothing but prey to the titans. The ODM gear that soldiers use doesn't give us any sort of advantage, but it does give us the opportunity to fight back. That's why I intend to join the Scout Regiment and help kill titans for the sake of humanity." Eren finished in a serious tone.

"Ha! Big talk from someone like you! If you want to go kill yourself while fighting the titans, go ahead. I'm joining the Military Police unlike you suicidal blockhead." Someone said in a loud brash tone, and Eren recognized that person as Jean, who looked at him smugly from his table.

"The only way I can die is if I'm too stupid to forget something while I'm on a battlefield, at least that way it shows I'm smarter than someone who looks like a horse. Oh wait, nearly everyone can be smarter than a horse." Eren said, crossing his arms while smirking. Training under Dante's wing helped the teen become less of a hothead and even fire back insults of his own instead of opting for a fight.

That got some of their fellow cadets to laugh, while Jean was quickly ticked off. He rose from his table and narrowed his eyes at Eren. Marco tried to calm him down, to no avail. "You got a problem with me, then you better say it to my face, you bastard." he seethed through gritted teeth.

"Hey you started it, horseface. I'm here minding my own business, then you had to make that comment about me endangering myself if I joined the scouts. Why did you do that anyway?" Eren asked, and Jean was silent since he couldn't find an answer to that. The white-haired teen then slammed his fist into his palm as he figured it out. "Are you worried about me that much so you made that comment up? Could you be developing an interest towards me, Jean? I'm sorry, but I sure as hell don't swing that way."

Jean was speechless as a blush erupted on his face, while everyone else began laughing at Eren's remark. Even Marco laughed at his friend's embarrassment but once Jean saw the smirk that lingered on Eren's face, he shook off his embarrassment and stormed over to the idiot's table.

"That's it, you bastard! I'm gonna shut your mouth up right now!" Jean shouted as he approached the table, just as the instructor opened the door and made his presence known.

"You little shits need to get to bed and be ready for tomorrow's training, or there will be hell to pay if you fail." He announced, before noticing the crowd of cadets around Eren's table. "I don't know what happened here and I sure don't plan on knowing, but finish what you're doing and get to bed!" He then left the mess hall, leaving the cadets to themselves again.

Jean turned back to Eren and scoffed, before heading back to his table to heed Shadis' words. Upon hearing what the instructor said, everyone else began fixing themselves up before arranging all the bowls and utensils they had used while eating.

Outside the mess hall, Eren was about to head out when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Turning around, he saw Jean with a serious look on his face. Eren wanted to roll his eyes since he didn't really want a fight on the first day of training but whatever, it might be worth listening to what Jean wanted to say.

"I thought about what happened earlier and I realized, it was my fault for not keeping my mouth in its proper place. So…" he held out his hand for Eren to shake. "Let's forget about it. I don't really want to mess anything up since it's only the first day of training."

Eren looked at his hand for a few seconds before a smirk formed on his face. "You sure you're not attracted to me one bit, Jean?" he asked that caused a tick mark to form on Jean's face.

"Are you gonna accept the damn handshake or not?" Jean tried not to sound pissed, while Eren laughed at his reaction before finally accepting as they shook hands.

"Then I apologize for my earlier words then…" Eren responded, the smirk on his face still visible. "You were being an asshole so I did the same, that's all." Jean didn't know whether to be angry at that statement or not, but before he could say anything else, Eren broke it off and walked away. "See you tomorrow."

"Tch," Jean muttered to himself before someone just walked past him. It was the girl at Eren's table from earlier. His eyes widened at how beautiful she was, especially those dark black locks that added to how she looked. A blush appeared on his face as he called out to her. "Um… miss?"

Mikasa turned to look at him.

"Y-Your hair… it looks beautiful." he said with a smile, while also rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Mikasa lowered her head to hide her face. "I see… thank you." She made a small bow and walked off rather quickly, with Jean keeping his eye on her. She was definitely a beautiful girl, maybe if he could approach her again tomorrow and— wait, hold on… why did that girl just ran towards Eren?

Eren noticed Mikasa trying to catch up to him, so he slowed down to let her walk with him side by side. "Where's Armin? Wasn't he supposed to go back with you?" he asked.

"He volunteered to help arrange the chairs in the mess hall and told me to head back on my own." Mikasa answered.

"Okay, it's gonna take a while for him to get back then." Eren nodded his head, before he noticed something about Mikasa. "By the way, I think you should shorten your hair. It will surely get in the way when we start training with the ODM gears. Wouldn't want you getting an accident now, would you?" He asked with a small smile.

Mikasa looked to the side before grabbing a part of her shirt to try and hide her blush. "O-Okay… I'll… I'll get it shortened in the morning then…" she muttered.

Eren chuckled at her embarrassment. Seeing her like this reminded him of the first time they came across one another before he suddenly remembered something important. "Mikasa, do you think you can head back to your bunk by yourself? I need to do something important before I head back too." He asked her.

Mikasa looked back at him and nodded slowly. "It's okay." For some reason, she sounded a bit sad that Eren can't walk back with her tonight.

"Great. Thanks for understanding, Mikasa!" he grinned, before running off into the direction of the infirmary as the raven-haired girl continued on her way to her bunk alone.

Back at the mess hall, Jean could only hang his head low as she watched Eren interact with the girl he just met earlier. He didn't say anything, but his hand moved to wipe it against Connie's shirt, who was standing nearby.

"Oi! What the hell did you just wipe off on my clothes?!" Connie scowled at Jean, just as the taller man spoke in a very low tone that almost nobody can hear him.

"My trust in other people."

* * *

Eren stepped out of the infirmary looking satisfied, before he started walking back to the boys' bunk. _"Now that that's done, time for a good night's sleep."_ He thought to himself, before he noticed a short blonde-haired girl walking towards the infirmary. He then noticed the bread and water she held in her hands before raising an eyebrow. _"What is she up to? There's no one in the infirmary except for the potato girl…" _It didn't take Eren more than a few moments to realize what she was up to, causing him to start running towards the girl.

"Hey! Hey, stop!" he called out, and the girl turned around towards him with a fearful look as if she had been caught red-handed. She froze in place just as Eren finally reached her. "Hey, no need to look so alarmed. What's with the bread and water in your hands?"

"Oh, I… I… I want to give them to someone…" she spoke in a shy tone, as her eyes glanced to the direction of the infirmary.

"You mean Sasha, right?" Eren asked her.

The girl nodded bashfully.

"Well, that's too bad… I just walked out of the infirmary after leaving some bread and a potato for her, so… you're a bit late." He revealed, causing the girl to look down in disappointment.

"Oh, I… I see…" she looked sad for a few moments before smiling once again as she looked up at Eren. "Then… would _you_ like to have this bread instead?" she asked kindly, and the white-haired boy raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What?"

"You just said that you already left some food for Sasha, so…" she handed the piece of bread close to his face, while still smiling. "...I'll just give this to you instead."

"Wait, why give it to me? I don't need it so why not eat it yourself?" He asked, confused as to why the girl suddenly wanted to give the bread to him when she can always have it for herself.

"I feel that you need it more than I do. Please accept it."

"I see." Eren took the piece of bread and looked at it for a few seconds before turning back to her. "What's your name?"

"I'm **KRISTA LENZ**. It's nice to meet you!" the girl said sweetly before bowing her head, which caused Eren to frown. There's something off about this girl, but he couldn't point out exactly what it was. However, there was no need to rush and look into it right now. It was already late at night, and they were supposed to be asleep. He'll just need to take care of this little matter quickly then.

"Well, my name is Eren Yeager, uhm…" he rubbed the back of his head, causing Krista to look at him with a worried look.

"Is there something wrong, Eren? I can help you." she said before smiling afterwards, which caused the white-haired teen to shake his head.

"The only one you can help is yourself." Before Krista could say anything, Eren gave back the piece of bread to her and leaned closer to her face, startling the poor girl and making her embarrassed at how close he was. "I don't know what you're trying to pull off here, but I'll be honest. I don't like it one bit. It's weirding me out. It's fine if you want to be kind but not to the point where you're kind to everyone around you. It's just weird. Just an advice, learn to think of yourself too and not just others." He then stood up properly and was about to leave before he turned back to the girl who kept on staring at him with a shocked expression. Did he somehow saw through her?!

"By the way, I remember seeing you during dinner." he said with a smile. "You weren't eating your food at all and you just wanted to give it to Sasha, were you? Well, I'm not gonna let you starve yourself to death… so eat up and head back to the barracks, Krista. Good night!" He waved his arm goodbye and began to run off, leaving the blonde girl in her place, staring at his retreating figure.

"Hey, who the hell was that guy?" Another girl came up and walked towards Krista. She had short brown hair tied in a ponytail and had freckles all over her cheeks. "Was he getting too close for you? Want me to beat him up and make him learn his place, Krista?" she asked with a savage grin.

"Eren… Yeager…" she mumbled as if she was put in a trance. Little did Krista know that she would forever remember that name.

Meanwhile inside the infirmary, Sasha finally woke up from her unconscious state and was busy chomping down the bread and potato that a person with the initials E and Y had brought to her. A small paper at the table had a message that read "I've never seen somebody run for that long. I have a feeling we'll get along!" written with said initials at the bottom.

She had to find out who this E.Y. person is and thank him for the food tonight!

* * *

The following morning, the cadets were lined up to start their training with the ODM gear. The three instructors were walking around and observed various cadets as they hung in the air to show their potential with gear. Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, and Connie all appeared to have the same result but they stopped in front of Eren Yeager.

"Why does he seem to be having trouble balancing, I can't see any fault in his posture." The younger instructor asked as they watched Eren struggle to remain in the air.

"I'm not sure myself. Do you mind finding out, Keith?" The older instructor looked towards Shadis, who nodded and walked up to Eren's spot.

"Cadet Yeager! Your form and posture while using the gear are perfectly fine, aren't they?! Why are you struggling to keep yourself suspended in the air?" Shadis asked him as Eren continued to struggle.

"The gear I'm using here is currently broken, Instructor. I am trying to learn how to operate it if in case this happens to me in combat." He answered calmly, finally gaining complete control of himself for a few seconds before going back to struggling. "Okay, this is not going well." he remarked, unaware of the wide-eyed looks from everyone there.

Keith tried remaining a stoic look but was wide-eyed as well, as he watched Eren struggle to use the broken gear. "Springer, come here." He said out of nowhere.

"Sir!" Connie said, walking up next to them.

"Exchange your gear with Cadet Yeager." Shadis ordered. Connie nodded as Eren was lowered down and the two switched their gears. When Connie was hoisted up, his face immediately met the ground while Eren was hanging perfectly in the air with no struggle. This caused him to smile widely as he threw his arms up in the air in victory.

_***start playing DMC4 theme "We Shall Never Surrender"***_

"Wow, that guy really managed to balance himself with a broken gear…" one cadet said in amazement.

"He must be a gold mine like Captain Levi of the Survey Corps," another cadet said.

"He's gonna make it into the top 10 at the end of our time here, that's for sure…"

"I think I'm going to like this kid." The younger blonde instructor said with a little smirk, and his fellow instructor only gave a chuckle, knowing he was right.

"WOOOHOOO!" Eren exclaimed with a big smile as he hung effortlessly in the air, before looking towards Armin and Mikasa's direction and sending them a thumbs up. Armin smiled and sighed in relief that Eren was capable of doing it after all, while Mikasa simply returned the boy's gesture with a thumbs up of her own, also smiling widely.

Krista Lenz looked up at Eren in amazement. This was the guy who told her to think of herself for once, and what happened last night was something she would never forget. After he left, she heeded his 'advice' and ate the piece of bread that she had that time. Although she did try to give it to Ymir, the tall girl said that Yeager spoke the truth, despite her not liking it one bit.

Sasha looked up at Eren too, only with a smile on her face. So he was the one who left her food while she was at the infirmary, huh? Also according to Mina, it was also him who carried her there? She really had to thank him for what he's done and hey, maybe they could share a bite later on in return. And Sasha wasn't the type of girl who liked to share her meals.

Meanwhile, Keith looked at Eren intently. _"Grisha, your son has become a soldier today." _He thought to himself, as Eren continued to voice out his happiness.

_"I did it! I've taken my first step in fighting back against the titans! Just you wait, you overgrown bastards… I'll kick your asses to where you all belong! Bring it on as well, you damn demons… I've stepped up my training so I'll take you on and send you back to Hell with your asshole of a master!"_ Eren thought to himself, looking up at the sky with a determined expression on his face.

* * *

_**And that's the end of it! As you can see, I followed most of the canon events but twisted some of it and even added scenes that I came up with myself, which was Eren carrying Sasha to the infirmary and him talking to Krista. Those are important because it will serve as development for *nudge nudge wink wink*. Since Eren had training prior to joining the military, he has an advantage over the other cadets except for three people who I'm not going to spoil for the sake of those who do not read the manga.**_

_**Also, since Eren has been training under Dante, it's obvious he will pick up some of his uncle's habits and demeanor, which will make him more lighthearted and less of the angry boi we knew him as. This was shown when he didn't get angry easily over an argument with Jean lol.**_

_**Next chapter, we continue the story of the 104th up until their graduation, or perhaps more? When will the demons strike? We all know the titans will come in Trost but what about for demons? Stay tuned to find out!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	7. Delusions of Strength

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

That night, just when everyone was getting ready to rest until morning arrives, two cadets personally walked up to Eren and Armin since they became interested when the white-haired teen talked about the breach in Shiganshina yesterday. They introduced themselves as **BERTHOLDT HOOVER** and **REINER BRAUN**. They ventured out of the barracks and into the deep forest nearby, where they stopped at a wonderful scenery that showed the nearest lake and the mountains in the distance. The moonlight only made the already-beautiful scenery more than that, as they continued their little discussion there.

Reiner explained that they lived in a town deep into the mountains in the Southeast side of Shiganshina and unlike the towns that were near the river, they didn't get the news of the breach in the wall and saw the titans for themselves.

The four talked deep into the night about how they are the only ones to see the titans up and personal as well as what they wanted to do. Reiner talked about how he wanted to get back to his home, while Eren explained how he wanted to put a stop to the reign of terror that the titans brought to humanity. From this, a bond of friendship was born between them.

* * *

**Year 850, Wall Rose, Forest near the 104th Training camp**

Three years into the cadets' training, the sky was in a downpour and rain took over the atmosphere. In the forest was a troop of cadets had their ODM gears equipped as they traversed through the forest.

"Hurry! Keep your feet moving!" Keith yelled at them while he was on a horse before looking at Armin who was falling behind them significantly. "What's wrong, Arlert? You're falling behind." He said to the tired blonde. "This thing too heavy for you? Are you going to remove your gear during the real deal? At this rate, you'll be titan food!" He yelled before advancing forward.

"Damn it…" Armin muttered to himself, breathing heavily as he continued to run until he felt his load lighten completely.

"Give that to me." Reiner said, getting the backpack from Armin and putting it over his own. "Keep this up Armin, and you'll be joining the dropouts. Today's exercise is being graded too." he told Armin.

"But they'll dock points from you as well," Armin replied.

"Then let's try not to get caught. Hurry up, before I change my mind!" Reiner yelled as he pushed forward whilst having two loads on his back.

Keith meanwhile, was looking back at them as he watched the scene unfold. _"Reiner Braun… he's as strong as an ox and more importantly, has the complete trust of his comrades."_ He thought as he watched the blonde man run forward.

"I won't be a burden if it kills me!" Armin said to himself before catching up to Reiner and grabbing his backpack again. Breathing heavily, Armin ran with all his might back to the formation as Shadis observed him.

_"Armin Arlert… he lacks physical skill, but shows magnificent skills in the classroom. He might just be capable of creating any fool-proof strategy with that brain of his."_

The following day, the cadets did another training exercise but this time, they were striking the napes of various titan dummies to test their skills in maneuvering and attacking while traversing with their gear through a forest.

The instructor was standing on the ground below, observing each of them closely. He first spotted the girl with short blonde hair and icy blue eyes that were cold enough to keep anyone away. _"Annie Leonhart. The deep curves created by her attacks are on point and quick, but her personality makes it difficult to cooperate with others." _He thought, assessing her skills and weaknesses.

Shadis hen turned to the tall man who was Bertholdt as he passed by Annie. _"Bertholdt Hoover. He has mastered every skill taught to him, and that leads me to believe he has lots of potential… but he often leaves decisions and important actions to others."_

Next was the brown-haired Jean as the teen smoothly traversed through the forest. _"Jean Kirstein... his 3D maneuvering is top class, and he can assess a situation at a moment's glance… but his attitude is like a sword, it can create conflict."_

"Damn it! I can't beat those two when it comes to attacks! So I'll just have to find a titan before they do!" He said aloud, before speeding up through the trees. _"I'm the one who's going to join the Military Police!"_ he thought before smirking as he found an unmarked titan dummy.

"Thanks, Jean! I knew it was a good idea to follow you!" Connie yelled out of nowhere as he passed by Jean, ready to go for the titan's nape. However before he could slash it, Sasha had already blasted through all of a sudden and marked the titan, surprising both men.

"Yay! I did it!" she laughed as she bounced around with her gear.

_"Sasha Braus… she unusually good intuition, but it also makes her ill in organized activities."_ Keith thought before grading her then turning towards Connie. _"Connie Springer… surprisingly talented with the gear, but not the quickest thinker that leads to strategic failures."_

In another part of the forest, a couple of volunteer instructors were raising a dummy titan. "He's coming." He told his partner in a whisper, before they raised another one.

In a split second, a blue flash passed by them as the napes of both titans raised were slashed through deep enough that it revealed the wood underneath. Looking up, Shadis spotted Eren as he continued maneuvering around the forest. _"Eren Yeager… he has a complete understanding of every subject and his grades are top-notch. His cockiness may be a distraction at times, but his drive to achieve his dream is far greater than anyone else's." _He thought as he marked Eren's scores.

Behind Eren, a black-haired girl slashed through another pair of titans before moving to another part of the forest and Keith recognized her as Mikasa. _"Mikasa Ackerman… her skills in every subject are remarkable like Eren's, but her personality makes it hard for her to connect with others. However, she is slowly learning to grow past that."_

A short blonde girl with a low hanging ponytail then came from the direction where Eren flew past through earlier. She slashed at the two titans that Eren hit, not leaving a mark as deep as his, but accurate all the same. "Urgh, still not as deep as his and not as fast." she muttered to herself, before following behind Eren. Behind her, a girl with tanned skin and brown hair struck the targets deeper but still not reaching Eren's level. She frowned before shrugging it off as she continued.

_"Krista Lenz… despite not possessing any outstanding abilities, her desire and drive to learn from Eren is amazing." _Shadis thought, observing the blonde before turning his attention to the other one. _"Ymir… she possesses great talent in using her ODM gear, but seems to have no desire to improve herself and only seeks to protect Krista."_

* * *

The next day, the trainees were practicing their skills in close combat with other humans as they got into pairs and fought. Eren had just slammed Reiner to the ground before holding out a hand for him.

"That hurt," Reiner muttered as he took Eren's hand and stood up.

"Sorry, I can't gauge my own strength sometimes." Eren said in a slightly embarrassed tone. Yeah, even though he had trained with Dante for more than a year and with his added military training, Eren still had problems in holding back his real strength, which was one of the reasons why he never got into any fights ever since. He would rather stick to a war of words.

"Tch, freaking monster. Maybe next time, you'll be one of the bad guys." He said, before handing Eren a wooden knife as he noticed a certain blonde girl looking like she didn't give a damn about what everyone else was doing. This girl was **ANNIE LEONHART**. "Hey Eren, look."

"Annie, huh? She's hiding from the instructors and slacking off again." Eren said, looking at the blonde girl in the distance.

"Okay, Eren. Let's teach that slacker a lesson. Let's show her what it means to be a true soldier!" Reiner said, pulling Eren as they walked towards Annie.

"What?" Eren muttered as he got pulled away.

A few seconds later, Annie was stopped from walking around when Reiner approached her. "Do you want a headbutt from the instructor? If you don't want to get any shorter than you are already, then remember why you're here and start taking it seriously." Reiner said, looking down at the girl with a smirk.

"Hey, that's no way to talk to a girl." Eren came in between them before he saw her glaring at Reiner. _"She's pissed… I mean, she always looks mad but… this doesn't compare to all those other times."_ He thought before Reiner grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Come on, show her how it's done Eren!" He said before pushing him towards Annie.

"Hey, why me?!" Eren said, shocked.

Reiner just winked at him before Eren groaned, knowing there was no way out of this even if he tried. A few moments later, he was holding a knife as he settled into a stance of his own and looked at Annie who also settled into a stance with her hands held up high and her left leg behind her right one.

"Hey look, Eren and Annie are about to go at it!" Connie said with excitement to see two of the top trainees spar. Some of the other cadets also turned their attention to the pair.

"Just so you know, I normally don't pick on pretty girls, but I'm gonna make this an exception." Eren said with a small smirk as he got ready to attack. Annie didn't say anything as Eren closed his eyes to take a few deep breaths. Once he opened them, he gained a calm look and that caused the blonde girl to tense and be prepared for what he had in mind.

Eren narrowed his eyes before charging at her with the knife behind his back. Annie aimed a low kick at him and, to everyone's shock, he tripped over it and making him fall to the ground face-first. He didn't move for the next few moments, which already signified Annie's victory. Connie and some of the other cadets had jaw-dropped as a result. Was the top cadet of their ranks really beaten by a girl in one move?

While ignoring the looks on everyone's faces, Annie turned to Eren with a dangerous expression. "You did that on purpose, Yeager." she said in a displeased tone. Of all the things that Eren could do against her, he decides to let himself lose? That hurt her pride more than losing to him, since it felt like Eren didn't consider her to be worth fighting.

Eren didn't answer back for a few seconds, before finally turning his head to the side and glancing back at Annie. "Well, I did say that I don't pick on beautiful girls, didn't I?" he said in a teasing voice.

Annie's expression didn't change, although if you look closely, there was a faint blush on her face. "Is that your way of flirting with me? Because you need to learn more in that department, it's horrible." she told him.

"Who says I'm flirting?" Eren turned over so that he was lying on his back, while still keeping a teasing smirk on his face.

The blonde girl glanced to the side to avoid his gaze. "I don't know if I should be honored that you consider me a 'pretty girl' or be mad that you don't have the balls to take on a weak, frail girl like me."

"That's up to you to decide, although I would definitely choose the first one. Heck, I declined being Mikasa's partner just so I couldn't hurt her." Eren raised the knife in his hand and Annie walked over to take it from him, before she threw it at Reiner with a pissed look.

"What—?" He said, grabbing the knife reluctantly while looking at a pissed Annie. He was still taken aback that Eren lost to her, sure there was nothing wrong about that, but it was only after one move!

"It's your turn, Reiner. You wanted to teach her the responsibility of being a soldier, right? Now's your chance." Eren asked, never losing the smirk on his face.

Reiner closed his eyes before he sweated a bit. "Yeah… there are times when a soldier can't back down. Right now is that time!" He yelled, opening his eyes as he charged at Annie.

***DONNNNNG!***

Five seconds later, Reiner was already on the ground with his ass high in the air. Eren got up from the ground immediately and walked up to Annie. "That technique of yours is amazing. Who taught you?" he asked her.

"My dad." she said, brushing her hair back.

"It's your dad's technique?"

"Yeah." She then turned to Eren. "What about you? I saw you fighting against Reiner earlier, so I know you're stronger than what you showed me earlier."

"Oh well, I…" Eren didn't know how to answer that. Of course, he couldn't say that a projection of his long-dead uncle who happened to be a son of Sparda told him the right way in training even though he was just in his mind. "I may have trained myself for a year and a few months before joining the military."

"I see, an early bird then. Anyway, it doesn't matter since this training is pointless. Martial arts against other people doesn't earn you high points." she told him. "I usually ignore it like earlier. The only ones who earn the right to join the Military Police and go to the interior are the top ten scorers in the end. Vertical gear maneuvering is worth a lot of points, and that's the only thing I have my attention on. The only ones taking this training seriously are people like you while others are…" they then saw Connie get reprimanded by Keith for playing around. "...plain idiots."

She then rushed towards Eren with the knife in her hand but he was fast enough to grab her wrist to stop her from reaching him. "Oooh, you're fast. I like that." he teased and Annie just scoffed at him for another lame attempt in flirting.

"For some reason, the stronger you are, the further you're placed from the titans. Why do you think this happens? Why is it that the people with the best abilities get the privilege of staying away from the titans?" she asked him.

He leaned closer to her face that Annie's cheeks actually turned redder as she widened her eyes slightly. "Who knows? I wonder why? Maybe the King in the interior is just afraid of the titans and that's why he needs the best of the best to protect him." he asked her in return.

Annie regained her emotionless look before sweeping him off his feet, making Eren fall to the ground. The white-haired teen looked up at her, just as she dropped the knife on his chest. "I wonder… if it's just the true nature of people." Much to his surprise, Annie offered him her hand and he accepted it before standing up.

He smiled before stretching out his limbs. "Thanks for that, I thought you hated me for a second because that leg sweep was rougher than any other sweep done to me."

The blonde girl broke her icy expression for a moment, just to give Eren a small smirk. "You just need to improve your skills in flirting with girls, because you suck." Eren was surprised for a few seconds before she returned to her emotionless look. "Anyway, I'm not dumb enough to play soldier in this pathetic world." she told him before walking away.

"Seems to me you're just not cut out to be a soldier," Reiner mused as he slowly got up.

_"How could I notice it just now? This training that we're doing… was it all just a way to enable desperate people to get away from the titans?" _He thought, watching Annie leave.

Sasha then interrupted his musing when she walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. Eren was surprised for a moment before realizing it was only the potato girl. "Oh, Sasha. Is there something you need help with?" he asked her.

"I was wondering, Eren…" she said in a whisper, looking around to see if anyone was listening. When she noticed that no one was nearby, she leaned close towards Eren's ear. "Maybe we could sneak into the kitchen later and grab something to eat after lunch at the hall?" she suggested with a small wink.

After the ODM assessment years ago, Sasha walked up to Eren personally and thanked him for the other day, especially for the food he brought because she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to eat at all. After that, a special bond had formed between them because of food, when Eren went on to explain what kind of explosive wonders a person can do with a simple potato and more. Of course, he had Dante to thank for telling him more about the wonders of the outside world, which included the various delicacies out there (especially pizza, he still needed to find a way to make one for himself). Sasha was always intrigued to hear more of it from Eren, and her mouth ends up watering almost every time.

"Now that's a good idea, I'm totally feeling up for that right now." he answered back with a smirk. He needed something to calm himself after what he realized just earlier when he talked with Annie. "How about I finally show you how to cook those 'fries' I told you about? It's really simple and the instructor will never see it coming."

"Yes, yes, YES! YES, I WANT TO KNOW!" she cheered while jumping up and down, having sparkles in her eyes and Eren had to calm her down before anyone else notices what they were talking about.

"Hey keep it down, alright? You'll blow it!" Eren told her, and Sasha eventually calmed down. Luckily, nobody noticed her because everyone else was busy sparring with their respective partners. Even Reiner had found a new sparring partner in Bertholdt, so he didn't hear anything. "Okay, meet me outside the mess hall after lunch and we'll do it. For now, just keep on training so the instructor won't suspect anything. Sounds good?"

Sasha nodded with a huge smile before running off, waving her hand towards Eren before he did the same. The white-haired teen smirked to himself. Nothing like a simple **Air Trick **to get the potatoes that they needed from the kitchen later on. Maybe he could share them with Mikasa and Armin too.

* * *

Later that night, Sasha joined their table and sat beside Mikasa, hiding the plate of fries that her and Eren cooked this afternoon from everyone else. At first, she wanted to keep the fries for herself and Eren because they were the ones who made it, but the white-haired teen convinced her that it would be good if they shared it with Mikasa and Armin.

While Sasha kept on munching down fry after fry due to how much she was loving it, Mikasa ate slowly while handing Armin some of it under the table and was able to eat too.

"This is… really good." Mikasa muttered, liking the taste of the potatoes while salted. Because of this, she started to eat a bit faster, as the more she tasted it, the more she wanted to eat.

"Yeah… I think it tastes a lot better than a simple steamed potato," Armin ate a few for himself, liking the salty taste too. He then turned to Eren, who was eating the normal paste they had as their daily meal. "Hey, Eren. Where did you learn how to make this? Did someone teach you?"

Eren didn't answer for a few seconds, before finally turning toward Armin. "No, I just thought of it after dipping a potato into some salt. I figured it would taste a lot better if it's cut up into small strips and cooked so it can hold in that flavour." He lied, since he can't tell where _exactly_ he got the idea of it.

"I never pegged you for being an expert in food, Armin laughed.

"Then you should know that I'm always full of surprises." Eren said, chuckling as well.

"Well, why don't you take some of it and eat? You came up with it, right?" Armin even offered some of the fries on his hand towards Eren, but he shook his head.

"I'm fine. I can always cook up another plate anytime." He respectfully declined as he went back to eating his paste. "Besides, it seems that Sasha and Mikasa are enjoying it too much, I don't want to rain on their parade."

"Well, that's if the instructor doesn't catch you stealing potatoes from the kitchen." Armin smirked as he went back to eating his fries. "Maybe you just got lucky this time."

Eren chuckled, but that wasn't the real reason why he didn't want to eat with them. He was deeply thinking about what Annie told him this morning, realizing how true her words were. To add to that, Jean was loudly bragging about his skills in maneuvering before he boasted once again about his intention to join the Military Police. To be honest, it's always been this way for the past years, he just opted to ignore all the time. But right now, he wasn't really in the mood to hear the horseface's remarks.

"...but just because I'm really good at maneuvering, doesn't mean I want word to get around! Competition will come sooner or later."

Eren sighed and decided to put a stop to this before he blows a fuse. "Hey, Jean." he called out and luckily, the horseface quickly noticed him.

"What, Eren?" Jean asked with the same cocky look he had ever since he started bragging earlier.

Eren flashed a smirk of his own. "Don't you think it's hypocritical? All of this improvement in titan-killing by promising a life _away_ from the monsters instead?"

"Well, you may have a point Eren…" Jean leaned his face on his hand as his elbow was planted on the table. "But that's just how reality is. All I can do is go with the flow. After all… they keep this stupid tactic around for people like me." Jean said, his smirk widening.

"You mean to say, you're stupid as well?" Eren snickered as he ate his paste. "Oh that's right, I did say back then that you looked like a horse, so that fits you." Nearly everyone in the mess hall laughed at Eren's remark and instead of blowing up like what happened long ago, Jean simply narrowed his eyes.

"You better take that back, because I'm not in the mood for a fight." He told Eren.

"Alright but first, tell me…" Eren stood up from his table and looked at Jean. "Tell me how can we fight against the titans, when all of those with the greatest abilities are living in the interior, away from danger."

"Tch… well, don't complain about that to me… I mean —" From the corner of his eye, Jean noticed that Mikasa was looking at Eren with worry in her eyes.

Eren was suddenly surprised when Jean stormed over to him and grabbed him by his shirt. "I've had it with you!" Jean shouted, looking at Eren with rage.

"Huh?! What the hell, let go of my shirt before it rips, asshole!" Eren shouted back to him, trying to pry Jean's grip off of his clothes while the other cadets sighed at the two.

"Oh, boy…"

"Here they go again…"

"Why can't Eren just shut him up for good?"

"Who cares about your shirt?! I'm so jealous!" Eren threw him a confused look, before he sighed and closed his eyes. Then much to the confusion of Jean and the other males in the room, Eren began to take off his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Jean asked as he let go of Eren, before he managed to catch the discarded shirt that the white-haired teen just threw at him.

While Reiner and the other male cadets were indeed confused with why Eren just did that, the same couldn't be said for the girls. Some of them already lit up madly, while some were struggling not to ogle at Eren's appealing features. Yeah, it didn't help that they were still teenagers whose hormonal urges need to be put aside for the sake of humanity. It also didn't help it was the best student in their ranks who had taken his shirt off.

Mikasa's face burned red with steam coming out of her ears, struggling not to faint out of embarrassment. Sasha couldn't stop herself from drooling as she stared at Eren's impressive abs. Oh dear, what would it taste like if she had the chance… but once she was aware of it, she turned away with a massive blush on her cheeks, trying her best to focus back in eating her fries.

Krista already covered her red face to stop herself from staring any longer than she already did, while Ymir comforted the poor girl. She made a mental note to kick Yeager's ass for embarrassing Krisra like this.

Even Annie, who had her chin resting on her hand, had chills up her spine with a warm feeling on her face as she tried to pry her look away, but was unable to. Truth be told, she really had an interest in knowing more about Eren even after his horrible attempt in flirting with her, now… this was an… odd way of knowing more about it.

"Since you want my shirt so much, you can have it. I already told you that I don't swing that way, so just have my shirt." Eren smirked, before Jean threw his shirt back at him.

"I don't want your stupid shirt and I'm not gay, you bastard!" Jean yelled at him, just as Eren put his shirt back on, ending the embarrassment for the females in the hall. But did they really want him to put his shirt back on?

"Then answer me, you horseface." Eren for once, didn't have his usual smirk and had a serious look. "If you think reality is living an easy life and living away from danger, then how can you call yourself a soldier?"

Jean got into his face with an equally serious look. "What'd you say about being a soldier?" Eren didn't answer, which was all that Jean needed as a response. He moved away and scowled. "So that's it… just so you know, this isn't over between us. But I can't afford to take this little scuffle here…" he said, looking towards the door in fear that at any moment, Shadis will come in and see what they were up to.

"I have an idea." Eren said, his smirk returning and causing Jean to look back at him. "We have time to _scuffle_ out in the open, don't we? I'll wait until you're ready."

Jean smirked back in response as they went back to their tables and continued on with what they were doing before they had that argument. However, it wasn't a normal night for the female cadets anymore, because the image of Eren without his shirt would forever be left in their minds.

Just when he was about to return to eating his paste, Eren felt the gazes of all the girls in the mess hall descend upon him, which included Mikasa and Sasha. "What the hell are the girls staring at me for?" He frowned in confusion and whispered to himself.

Armin sighed and patted Eren on the shoulder. "You should start to expect their stares from now on…" he muttered.

* * *

The following day, it was another exercise in hand-to-hand combat as Eren walked up to Annie, who once again didn't have anyone to partner with. "Hey, Annie." He called out, and when the blonde girl looked at him, she blushed for a moment and looked away which caused Eren to smirk. "I'm thinking you enjoyed the show last night? Armin told me about it." He teased.

Annie turned back to him and gave him a punch on the shoulder, although Eren could see a small smile on her face as she did so. They then noticed Jean trying his best to fight against a fellow cadet, but it looked like it wasn't enough.

"Hey, do you think Jean is slacking off?" he asked her as they observed Jean from a distance.

"No, not really…" she answered, getting over her state embarrassment. "But it's not like he's working hard to be a soldier. He's doing it so he can pay you back."

"Oh, I'm aware of that." Eren grinned at her. "But… he _is _serious about learning the moves."

As Annie heard Eren say those words, her mind drifted to a memory wherein she was being trained by her father in fighting. She was then snapped out of it when Eren caught her attention again.

"Hey, Annie! What do you think of this?" The white-haired teen then performed the same low kick that Annie did to him yesterday, before looking back at the girl with a smirk. "I was just imitating what you did, but it worked perfectly!"

"Hmph." she said, before smirking at him. "It sucked. Not even close."

"Seriously?" Eren raised a brow. "What was wrong with it? I thought I did it properly."

"If you like it that much…" she then smiled at him. "I wouldn't mind teaching it to you."

Eren widened his eyes in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," her smirk then returned. "Consider yourself lucky that a 'pretty girl' is gonna teach you, even though you suck at flirting with girls."

Eren answered back with a smirk of his own. "Fine by me! Come on! Teach me how to —!"

***WHACK!***

No more than a few seconds later, Eren was back to the ground again after getting swept off his feet easily.

* * *

A few weeks later, the cadets of the 104th Training Corps that made it to graduation stood in front of Keith and the other instructors with their salutes as the oldest instructor spoke to all of them.

"Now that you have completed your training… you have three choices. The **GARRISON**, which reinforces the walls, thereby protecting all of the towns… the **SURVEY CORPS**, prepared to sacrifice their lives outside the walls by defying the titans in their own domain… and the **MILITARY POLICE BRIGADE**, which exercises control over the King's subjects and maintains order…"

He then looked at the ten cadets who were lined up in front of the others. "Of course, out of you raw recruits, the only ones who can join the Military Police Brigade… are the ten cadets with the highest scores."

Lined up from first to tenth were Eren Yeager, Reiner Braun, Mikasa Ackerman, Bertholdt Hoover, Annie Leonhart, Jean Kirstein, Connie Springer, Sasha Braus, Armin Arlert, and Krista Lenz.

"Soon, I'll be asking you which branch you want to be assigned to. But as of right now, the 104th Training Corps is officially disbanded! Dismissed!"

"Yes, sir!" All of the cadets shouted.

* * *

_**And that ends it! The 104th have graduated, and we have our top ten! Next chapter we'll be having the events that will lead to the first major arc of the story, which is the Trost arc! Oh god, what will happen there?! Tune in next chap to find out!**_

_**I hope you like the little cute moments I put in here, like Sasha coming up to Eren to invite him to steal from the kitchen and Annie training with Eren. Sasha learning about fries? I wonder what would happen if Eren introduces pizza! XD. Eren taking off his shirt was a LOL moment I came up with while in the moment, I hope you don't mind it and the girls' reactions.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	8. Night of the Disbandment Ceremony

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

After the disbandment ceremony, the cadets were all having fun in a tavern, where they celebrated their graduation. While many were disappointed they weren't able to make it to the top ten scorers, they were still happy nonetheless for making it through three years worth of military training. Many clinks of glasses could be heard around the place. "I did it! I can finally join the Military Police!" Connie cheered with a toothy grin.

"Yay! Now we won't have to worry about food!" Sasha cheered along with him, imagining the endless possibilities of what she could eat in the interior.

"Why am I below Eren?" Jean tch'ed as he drank his beer, not liking how the results went down in the end.

"That's because he's just the best in everything we did," Marco sweat-dropped. Even though he deeply wanted to be in the top ten in order to be able to join the Military Police, he wasn't one to complain about the grades he got. "At least you're in the top ten scorers, Jean… you'll be able to join the Military Police like what you always wanted."

Meanwhile, in one particular table, Eren was surrounded by many of his fellow cadets. All of them had similar questions and if he had to be honest, he was starting to get annoyed because a) he can't eat properly with so many people asking him questions and b) they were all asking the same questions.

"You're not joining the Military Police, Eren? Are you serious, Eren?!" Thomas asked him.

"You're the top scorer!"

"Joining the Military Police is what I came here for."

"Your skills would be perfect for the Military Police Brigade!"

"I didn't train to live in the interior. I trained in order to go out there and fight the titans." He answered them all while having his usual smirk, trying not to show that he was getting annoyed.

"You can't beat them!" Thomas yelled with a fearful look, which gained everyone's attention. "You, of all people, should know. They've eaten tens of thousands of people. When we lost 20% of the population after the answer was already clear. Humanity… can't win against the titans." He explained, bringing a depressed state to the room.

"So?" Eren spoke, getting their attention again. "Are we just going to give up because we _think_ we can't win?"

"Well, I…"

"Tch, why don't you lighten up, Eren?!" Jean yelled, which got everyone's attention to himself. "Since we're in the top ten, we can finally escape this shitty, uncomfortable, suffocating front-like town! A comfortable life is waiting for us in the interior! You'd all like to go to the interior too, right?" Yep, he was clearly drunk since he wasn't acting like an asshole towards Eren.

"I'm applying to the Military Police Brigade." Bertholdt said with a smile.

"Me too…" Annie said, turning her head towards Jean. "But I don't want anyone to think I'm like _you_."

Jean grinned at his rival. "Hahahahahahaha! You see, Eren? Why don't you just take advantage of this opportunity and live a good life in the interior. After all, what happened five years ago must have been traumatizing for you."

"You say that the interior is comfortable… yet five years ago, this town was also a part of the interior…" Eren said, looking emotionless for a moment before his everlasting smirk once again appeared on his face. "You don't have to go to the interior, Jean. I mean, isn't the interior of your brain already soft enough for you?"

Reiner immediately had his drink spat out through his nostrils which got on Armin, because of what Eren just said. As he apologized to Armin, Mikasa grabbed Eren's sleeve, making him look at her before she shook her head in an attempt to stop Eren from creating a fight.

"I'm not gonna fight him," he mouthed out, before gently removing Mikasa's hand just as Jean turned to him.

"Are you saying I'm an idiot, Eren?" Jean said, obvious ticked by the remark that the white-haired teen made. Eren didn't say anything, and Jean continued to speak. "Well, I'm not. I'm just looking at reality… more than anyone."

"Yeah, right…" Eren rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Take a note at what Thomas said, then." Jean pointed to the blonde guy who spoke earlier. "Four years ago, twenty percent of the population was sent out to try and reclaim our land from the titans. Most of them ended up going straight into a titan's mouth, swallowed whole. For every titan that was defeated, an average of 30 humans died. However, the number of titans who dominate this planet is at least twice more than the population of the entire human race even before we were first attacked."

Eren remained looking like he was bored, but he still listened to every word Jean said.

"Like what he said, I think it's crystal clear. Humanity doesn't stand a chance against them." Jean said in a somewhat depressed tone, which added to the already sad atmosphere that the tavern had.

…

…

…

Jean sighed as he looked around, seeing most of the cadets suddenly entered a state of depression. "Look at this place, it's like a funeral is happening in here, thanks to you…"

Just then, Eren suddenly spoke up. "So you're basically saying, 'I don't think we can win, so I'm giving up.', right?" he said, shaking his head.

Jean raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Were you even listening to me?"

"Tell me… what's so good about giving up? Is it better to escape from that reality that you're seeing, Jean? Up to the point where you're throwing away all your hope?" Eren asked.

The other cadets were starting to look back towards Eren as the top of their class began to explain his side.

Eren put his hands inside both of his jacket pockets and spoke in a serious tone, different to how he normally spoke. "In the first place, it's given that we would lose to the titans in material terms. Four years ago, one of the causes that we lost was ignorance. Humanity lived inside these walls in peace, thinking that they are finally safe from the titans. Then the Colossal Titan appeared one day and crushed any hopes of that happening. A hundred years of living in ignorance caused humans to forget the horror that the titans bring. That, and because the government in the interior had no idea what to do with the thousands of refugees coming from Wall Maria… you can call it one of the reasons why I don't want to enter the Military Police. I _refuse_ to work and serve under people who can't even protect their own kin and thinking that sending them to their deaths is the solution." He finished through gritted teeth.

By now, everyone in the tavern had their eyes on Eren as they listened to him closely, while also seeing the fierce look of determination in his emerald orbs.

"We lost then, but the information we gained will surely lead to our hope for the future. And yet you're going to give up on developing strategies to fight them? You're giving up on improving yourself to defeat more of them? Do you want to be titan food so badly? Give me a break, you horseface."

Eren then looked at Armin for a moment, before he clenched his fist. "I have a dream… one that I've shared with my friend ever since we were kids." Armin widened his eyes immediately, knowing that it was him whom Eren was talking about. "It's to leave the cramped-up lands in these walls and not just that…" He then thought about what Dante revealed to him five years ago before finishing his statement.

"My dream is to explore… the outside world."

Silence had erupted afterwards. If it was a depressing atmosphere inside the tavern earlier, then it changed just by listening to Eren's words. Most of the cadets were looking at their top scorer in astonishment, while some pondered deeply upon what he said. It continued to be like that until Jean broke the silence by getting into Eren's face.

"Ha! What the hell are you talking about?! You must be the one with the soft noggin!" He said in an arrogant tone, before smirking at the white-haired teen.

"Oh? And how so?" Eren fired back with a smirk of his own.

Jean pointed to everyone around, who were still silent after hearing Eren's little speech. "Look at them! Not a single one of them agrees with you!"

"Yeah, and I don't give a shit." Jean turned to him with a frown. "I'm not trying to be a leader of a cult who's doing his best to have others follow his footsteps, because I'm doing this on my own. I'm doing this because it's what I want." He continued with a serious look and tone.

Jean playfully sighed. "You know, you're really starting to reach out too much… you sure you're not drunk or something?"

Eren snickered, before looking at his bandaged arm. "Heh… if you only knew…" he mumbled to himself.

Jean seemed to have heard Eren say something, but he couldn't point out what it was exactly. "What?"

Eren looked up at Jean again, his smirk returning. "Listen to me when I say this. Like what I always say, the Survey Corps _will_ succeed in taking back what we lost… but I never said the exact reason why. Do you know why, Jean?" Eren then pointed to himself with his bandaged arm. "Because the Survey Corps will have _me_ with them. You can call it bragging or arrogance, but I don't care. Don't forget, I'm the top scorer out of everyone here and instead of continuing to live in arrogance like you, I will contribute and use everything that I've learned to help humanity. I can bet you that in just over a year, the Survey Corps _will_ finally make progress, if we haven't reclaimed the land by then. And it will all happen… because _I'm _going to join them." he finished with a determined grin before he felt someone tugging on his shirt. Turning around, Eren saw Mikasa with a pleading look on her face, and he immediately knew what it meant.

He turned back to Jean and raised his eyebrows. "Remember what I said tonight, Jean… just remember it." He said, before turning around and walking away, eventually leaving the tavern with Mikasa following behind.

"Somehow, I wonder where Eren got that cocky attitude of his…" Armin sighed as he stood up, before following his two friends outside. If he had to be honest, he didn't like how things worked out, but things just happen. "I just hope it won't come back to bite him when the time comes."

Even Krista, who had her eyes on Eren ever since they went here, stood up and slowly headed to the door with Ymir following closely behind her.

_"Fine then. Go outside the walls and get yourself killed! I'm joining the Military Police…"_ Jean thought to himself, watching them all leave.

* * *

As soon as Mikasa stepped outside, she saw Eren stretching his limbs while breathing heavily. With a worried tone and expression, she began to speak. "Are… Are you okay, Eren?" she asked.

Eren glanced back to see it was Mikasa. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed some fresh air for a bit." he said, while continuing to exercise his limbs.

"Did… Jean go too far?" she asked. Yeah, she was still worried because she had never seen Eren act so serious like he was earlier. He was either easygoing and calm, while only being serious on occasion.

"Nah, not really." He said, sitting down as he finished stretching out his arms and legs. "I've handled worse… I just figured it would be enough to shut his mouth." He then looked to the side to see Mikasa pointing to the space on his right, silently asking if she could sit beside him. "Haha, you can sit wherever you want, it's free." He chuckled, and the girl made herself comfortable beside him afterwards. That was when Eren remembered something important as he turned to look at Mikasa. "Say, have you decided already what branch are you gonna join?" he asked curiously.

"I'm…" she said, looking down on the ground for a moment before turning her gaze towards Eren. "...I'm joining the Survey Corps like you."

Eren widened his eyes slightly. He didn't expect that from her, of all people. "For real?" he said in surprise. "You're in the top ten, you can join the Military Police if you want to. I'm not going to complain about it, if that's what you're thinking."

That was when Mikasa had a smile forming on her face. "I can… but I remember making a promise to your mother, about always looking out for each other." she told him.

"Oh right, I totally forgot about that." Eren said in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head before pointing to Mikasa. "But make sure to stick with me, alright? I can't look out for ya if you're not close." He ruffled her hair slightly, causing the girl to blush before nodding slowly. "By the way, remind me to go and visit mom before we pick our respective branches… it's been so long since we last saw her."

Mikasa smiled shyly and looked up at the night sky. "Y-Yes, I would… like to see her again too…" She then looked back at Eren and saw him looking up as well. That was when she noticed his hand pressed on the ground as she found herself staring at it for a few moments. Having nobody left in her life after her parents died, Mikasa had no reason left to live during that day.

Until that moment when Eren gave her his scarf.

Because of him, she had something worth fighting for. Because of Eren, she found another reason to live.

All because of _him_.

Mikasa glanced at her own hand; despite having no experience in things like this, she could easily put it over Eren's and entwine their fingers. She found herself doing so, albeit in a slow manner that showed how embarrassed she was for doing this.

"Eren, you didn't have to act like that inside." A voice said from behind them, and Mikasa immediately froze in place as her face burned up. Meanwhile, Eren turned around to see Armin walking towards them. "Anyway, the party's breaking up, you two… we should head back to the dorm."

"Oh hey, Armin…" Eren said, just as his blonde friend came to sit down on the space to his left. That was when Armin noticed how red Mikasa was, with her hair covering most of her face to hide herself.

"Uh, Mikasa are you alright? Your face is heating up really bad." Armin asked, causing Eren to turn towards the girl as well.

"Oi, is something wrong? I know you look like that pretty much most of the time but now I'm worried. Do you have a fever or something?" Eren asked, only for Mikasa to shake her head furiously in response. He shrugged, thinking he was just thinking too much of it before turning back towards Armin. "So… have you decided what branch you're applying to, Armin?"

Armin was quiet for a few seconds, before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I'm going to join the Survey Corps!" His answer alarmed both Eren and Mikasa [who snapped out of her embarrassment] as they looked at their blonde friend in shock.

"Wait, what?! Are you serious? I mean, you're…" Eren tried to say, and Armin only nodded in agreement, as he knew what his friend was about to blurt out.

"Yeah, I know…" Armin muttered, glancing to the side. "I'm weaker than the average person… and it was a miracle that I passed the simulated combat graduation test, let alone get into the top ten…"

"But didn't the instructor tell you to be a technician since you're academic grades are higher? You'd be perfect for the Garrison, or you could join the Military Police if you want. But making an inefficient choice that disregards your abilities isn't what I would call courageous."

Armin looked at his friends for a moment, before a serious expression showed on his face, looking ahead. "If I died, it wouldn't matter! I don't want to be a burden to anyone!" he said, holding almost the same look of determination that Eren has all the time.

"I'm joining the Survey Corps too!" A voice said from behind the three and they turned around to see Krista walking up to them with Ymir behind her.

"You gotta kidding be kidding me…" Eren looked at her in disbelief, since he did _not_ expect something like that from a girl like Krista, of all people. "You're in the top 10, why not join the Military Police or something!" Eren didn't want to show it, but he was worried. Krista wasn't nowhere near Armin, and she could be fairly considered as weaker than him. He didn't want her to die an early death.

Krista smiled at him. "I still owe you for what happened that night. I haven't forgotten what you did for me, and it helped me a lot!" Eren immediately noticed that Mikasa and Armin were sending him confused glances. He only gulped, since he had never told him about the time where he brought food for Sasha and unknowingly met Krista along the way.

"You don't owe me anything," he shook his head. "Follow what your heart tells you to do, but anyway thanks for being honest, I guess… I didn't expect that coming from you, Krista."

"But what if…" she said shyly, before twiddling her fingers in nervousness. "My heart is telling me… to… to follow you?"

That got Eren to widen his eyes and quickly look away in embarrassment. "I never asked for you to follow me, though…" he mumbled, his cheeks gaining a hint of red in the process. Armin sighed and patted his shoulders afterwards, as Ymir stepped forward and grabbed Krista's shoulder.

"Hmm, well wherever Krista goes I'll go there too, even if it's in the Military Police. Someone's gotta make sure she doesn't get into too much danger from following you around Yeager, since you _are_ joining the Survey Corps to fight titans." Ymir said with a grin as Krista blushed crimson before looking away.

Mikasa stared at both of them for a few moments before looking down on the ground. Did Krista have the same feelings that she had for Eren? If she did, then, was there even a chance for her? Krista was cute and kind to everyone around her, while she has trouble being around new people. The difference between them was significant.

The night finally ended when they returned to the dorms earlier than everybody else. The five cadets fell asleep rather easily and Eren in particular, couldn't wait to prove what he said to Jean and help the scouts in their conquest.

* * *

The next day, Eren was walking through the streets of Trost with two other cadets named **FRANZ KEFKA **and **HANNAH DIAMANT**. They had their attention on the various stores and people roaming around, as they headed to the wall.

"You know… most of us call this a front-line town, but…" Eren began, taking note of the people happily chatting around them. "We're getting more people here. That was unexpected."

"Well, nothing _has _happened for five years now. People can't live in fear forever." Hannah shrugged before smiling at the boys walking with her, but Eren frowned at that.

"Not to mention, we've made the walls a lot stronger these past five years." Franz agreed, before pondering over something. "Maybe… that Colossus Titan has given up on us…"

"What the hell are you talking about, you two?!" Eren yelled as he went in front of them with a hard glare. "Marriage has turned you soft!"

With that, the two quickly looked away with blushes on their faces as they shook their heads in denial.

"Wh-Who said we were married…?!" Hannah exclaimed, the nervousness clear in her voice.

"To even think we'd make a good couple…" Franz murmured under his breath, before covering his face with his left arm. "You're getting way too ahead of yourself, Eren!"

Eren stared blankly at the two of them for a few moments before he had a deadpan expression on his face. "...you two…"

* * *

Later that day, Eren and the squad he was assigned to were atop the walls cleaning the cannons. Everything was going normally until the white-haired teen heard something that nearly made him fall over in surprise. "Huh?! You're joining the Survey Corps?! Where did this come from?! You're number eight, right? I thought you wanted to join the Military Police!"

"Naturally, the Military Police Brigade's a wiser choice… but still…" Connie replied, while busy cleaning one of the cannons.

"Your speech last night had an effect on him." Thomas said, walking up to them as Connie widened his eyes at hearing his words.

"What?!" Eren was shocked.

"W-Wrong! I…It was… that's right, it was Jean!" Connie said, clearly embarrassed. "I just don't want to be in the same branch as that bastard!"

"That doesn't explain why you'd suddenly want to join the Survey Corps…" Thomas put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"S-Shut the hell up! I decided for myself!" Connie barked.

"Don't be so embarrassed! Sometimes even when you know what you should do, you still hesitate to follow through…" Thomas explained, before Eren finally let a smile form on his face, somehow happy that someone listened to him despite the fact that he looked like a borderline idiot last night. "Besides, you're not the only one…" the blonde man continued, before a brown-haired girl walked up to them.

"Pardon me, but…" Sasha approached them with a dazed smile on her face, before pulling out a small pack of meat from her jacket. "I borrowed some meat from the senior officers' private stock."

That alone alarmed the three men as they looked at Sasha in shock, until Eren realized what this meant.

"Sasha… you want to get thrown in solitary…?" Thomas said.

"You know, you really are dumb." Connie sneered.

"Sasha, that's great!" Eren's voice caught Connie and Thomas' attention as they stared at their top student in surprise. Eren then walked towards Sasha and placed his hands on top of her shoulders before he smiled widely. "Do you know what this means? We can try cooking up those recipes I told you about!"

"Hehe, yeah…" Sasha chuckled, with some of her drool dripping down her face.

"Woah, what? Seriously Eren, of all people, it's _you_ who would support the potato girl?" Thomas asked incredulously, unable to believe that the top one of their class had a side like this to him.

"Why not, it would be a massive change after eating that damn paste and plain bread for three years." Eren shrugged as he turned to them.

"After me and Eren cook, let's split it up afterwards… we can share the tasty meat and have it to ourselves…" the girl said excitedly, as she couldn't wait to be able to try meat for the first time.

"Seriously, put it back. And don't encourage her, Eren. You have to set an example since you're the top of the class." Connie told them before turning to the white-haired teen.

"That's right. Since we have less land where livestock can be bred, meat is considered incredibly valuable." Mina said, walking up to the group.

"It's alright," Sasha said as she opened a crate where she hid the meat inside. Everyone looked at her as she did so. "If we reclaim the land, we can raise more cows and sheep again."

"She's right," Eren agreed, flashing them a small grin. "Honestly, it's one of the reasons why I'm joining the Survey Corps. I don't want to get back to eating that god-awful paste during our training days, and I've grown tired of the same old dry bread. I want more than that, and the only way for it to happen, is if we take back our land from the titans!" Eren said in a determined voice, causing everyone else to be silent for a few moments, surprised by his little speech about food. Sure it was a bit of a foolish reason of his, but nonetheless Eren made his intentions clear.

"I see your point." Thomas spoke up with a little smile, realizing what Eren and Sasha stood for as Mina, Samuel and Connie looked at him. "It'll be like a celebration in anticipation of reclaiming Wall Maria."

Eren smiled at Thomas while the others looked at him in surprise at how quickly he had changed his mind. Sasha finished hiding the meat and stood up beside Eren, leaning her head on his shoulder. She cast a quick glance at Eren to see what was his reaction, but he didn't seem to mind it, so she simply stayed in that position while smiling contently. Just then, it was Samuel who spoke next.

"...I'll…" he closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I'll eat that meat, too!" he exclaimed.

"I-I'll have it too! So save some for me…!" Mina spoke up as well, not wanting to be left out.

"What are you standing there speechless for, Connie? You'll get some meat too, but do you want to get busted for slacking off?" Samuel told the short boy, who broke out of his temporary trance in order to get back to cleaning, since he didn't want to be reprimanded for being tardy.

"It's not even lunchtime yet!" Mina laughed, before going back to cleaning.

Eren smiled at all of his fellow cadets working, even Sasha who was leaning against him because of who-knows-what, before looking over Trost as a whole. He looked down at his right arm and clenched his fist. _"It's been five years since that day. Even after losing twenty percent of our population, the people in these walls are finally regaining dignity. This won't be the same as it was back then."_ He thought, before flashing his usual smirk as he slammed his fist into his chest. _"Our counterattack… begins now!"_

It was silent for a few seconds before all of a sudden, a huge flash of lightning appeared behind him. Eren froze along with Sasha, as their fellow cadets around them widened their eyes in shock at what suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Regaining a serious look a few moments later, Eren then turned around and came face-to-face with the Colossal Titan.

* * *

_**OH BOY, HERE WE GO! The Colossal Titan is finally back after five years and now the Battle for Trost arc has officially begun! Next chapter, our heroes will attempt to fight back, but will they be successful? Can Eren make a change with his hidden power? Will he transform into a titan like in canon? Shit, the possibilities are endless, so stay tuned!**_

_**P.S. It wouldn't hurt to leave a review right? It really helps seeing your feedback in every chapter, which motivates me to keep on writing… so… please?**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	9. First Battle

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

Before anyone could say anything or even move a muscle, a massive amount of steam drew over them, immediately cutting off their line of sight. The temperature of the air around them became incredibly high because of the steam, and the whole squad were forced to cover their faces to protect their eyes.

"Agh, it burns!" Connie yelled, shielding his face from the steam.

_"Damn… it… what's…"_ Eren thought, hiding his right arm behind him as he used his left one to protect his eyes. A few moments later, he eyes suddenly went wide as he noticed that they were all blown away from the wall due to the pressure from the steam created. "Everyone…!" He yelled out, getting the others' attention as they too noticed that they were about to fall from a great height if they don't make a move. "Urgh… switch to vertical maneuvering!" he ordered, still feeling the lasting effect of that steam cloud a while ago.

"Right!" Connie exclaimed as he, Sasha, Mina and Thomas all fired their gears and planted themselves on the wall. Samuel tried to do the same, but his grappling wire wasn't able to implant itself in the wall and causing him to fall. He also seemed to have sustained numerous burns from absorbing the steam earlier.

"Hey! Samuel!" Eren yelled out when he saw Samuel beginning to slip into unconsciousness, possibly due to the burns on his body.

"Samuel!" Sasha cried out as she ran along the wall to rescue her fellow cadet. Within distance, she fired her gear and it attached to Samuel's leg, only at the cost of creating another injury. The tall man groaned in pain as he stopped falling, and Sasha stood still so she wouldn't cause him any further damage. "Stay still, Samuel!"

"That was close…" Eren sighed in relief before he noticed that the Colossal Titan's hand was gripping the top of the wall. He frowned in confusion, before trying to think quickly of a possible answer. _"Wait… if he's holding on to that, then…"_ It only took a few seconds before his eyes widened and looked at the gate below them. "YOU GOTTA BE —!"

***WHOOM!***

"...kidding me…" Eren finished, as he and his squad watched an explosion occur exactly below them, directly at the outer gate. "Just like five years ago…" he muttered to himself, remembering how the Colossal Titan was also the one who created the breach in Wall Maria.

"It broke through the wall…" Thomas said in shock.

"Again… the titans are gonna come in again…" Connie mumbled in a trance, fear immediately taking over him. "Dammit… titans are really gonna—"

"SASHA!" Eren yelled out, getting everyone's attention once again. It managed to snap Connie out of it, as the brown-haired ponytail-wearing girl looked up at the white-haired teen. "Take care of Samuel! The rest of you!" He looked at Connie, Mina, and Thomas. "Get ready for battle! Our target is here! The Colossal Titan! He's the only one capable of destroying the wall, and we can't let that happen!" Eren then made his way up the wall, while stealing glances at his right arm. _"No, I can't use it now… there are no demons around, there's no reason for me to reveal the secret I've hid for four years… I'll have to stick with vertical maneuvering!"_

As soon as he reached the top of the wall, he narrowed his eyes at the monster and grinned savagely. "Hey there… it's been five years, huh… what say you to a little dance between the two of us? Just to be sure you didn't grow rusty with that size!" Eren pointed one of his swords at the titan and prepared for battle.

The Colossal Titan raised one of its arms and slowly pulled it back, while keeping its gaze on Eren. The white-haired teen remained his composure and waited for the right opportunity to strike. _"I have to remain composed… this is the first time I've faced off against this bastard… I don't have any idea if it has any blind spots or anything." _He thought to himself.

"There!" Eren shouted, jumping off the wall and flying towards the other free arm just as the titan brought its right one in to sweep the top of the wall. He then took advantage of its slow movement to move up along the giant arm, while also taking a glance at the wall, where he saw the artillery was already completely destroyed. He quickly realized something, before Eren turned back to the titan just as it turned its gaze towards him as well.

_"That fucker…" _Eren narrowed his eyes and scoffed. _"He wasn't aiming for me… he was aiming for the artillery all along. And that's not all… it's no coincidence that he went after the gate too… then that means…" _he quickly made a turn for the titan's underarm and fired his gear towards the shoulder, before flying away so that he was finally face-to-face with the nape. _"He is intelligent!"_ Eren fired his gear for the nape, and with that he was pulled in to go for the kill.

"I'm gonna enjoy putting you in your place, you bastard! I'll be the one to kick your ass back to titanville!" He shouted while showing a savage grin, preparing to cut as he drew closer. "You're dead, bitch!" Eren yelled as he was within a few feet of his target.

All of a sudden, a huge burst of steam suddenly blew out of the titan's body, slowing Eren down in his attack. _"What the —?!" _he thought to himself, covering his face with one arm before he noticed that this was a familiar feeling. _"He was the one who blasted us away earlier? Damn, it's hot!" _Eren grunted and pressed on with his attack anyway, knowing full well he would heal his wounds. _"No… I can take this! As long as I can—!_" Just as he was about to attack, the steam suddenly dissipated into thin air, but the Colossal Titan was nowhere to be found.

"Where the hell did he go?" Eren voiced out, quickly sticking back towards the wall as he looked around for any traces of the titan just earlier. "This doesn't make sense… how the hell can that titan vanish all of a sudden?! He was here just now…" he muttered to himself in shock.

"The Colossal Titan disappeared!" A voice said from atop the wall, causing Eren to look up, before noticing it was Connie. "Did you kill it, Eren?!"

"No…" Eren shook his head, as both confusion and shock were mixing in his current expression. "It's just like five years ago… he appeared out of nowhere and slowly vanished!" He shouted loud enough for them to hear, before maneuvering his way to the top.

Once he got there, he could see everything that was atop the wall was ruined, all because of that one sweep that the Colossal Titan did earlier. A good amount of artillery, gone with the wind, just like the titan itself.

"I'm sorry… I wasn't quick enough to get him, and now I let that piece of shit get away…" Eren apologized, turning to his comrades with a slightly depressed look. He felt that it was his fault for letting that Colossal bitch live to see another day… damn this! If he had only used his demonic power earlier… would things be any different than they were? Of course it would but… he couldn't show his true colors! It wasn't the right time for it…

"What are you apologizing for? We couldn't even move…" Connie told him.

"Hey! Is this any time to chat?!" A Garrison member shouted at them as he looked at the area where the Colossal Titan appeared and attacked. "Part of the Wall's already been destroyed! If it isn't plugged up fast, we'll get another titan incursion!"

Another one of the Garrison soldiers had just climbed atop the wall, looking at Eren and Connie. "What are you trainees doing?! The strategy for dealing with a Colossal Titan's appearance is already in motion! Report to your posts on the double! And if any of you made contact with it, report it to HQ!" He told the two cadets.

"Yes, sir!" The two teens saluted before flying off.

* * *

The bells near the outer gate were loudly clanging, while the townspeople who were struggling to flee for their lives were louder. News spread fast about the return of the Colossal Titan after five years, and it immediately put everyone in a panic. The Garrison soldiers were doing their best to keep the situation handled well, but there were times when humans aren't capable of acting rational or sane. This may very well be one of those times.

"Leave all material possessions behind!"

"Please evacuate calmly!"

At the military HQ in the center of the district, both the 104th cadets and various Garrison soldiers were gearing up for battle.

"Regrettably, the Survey Corps, which has the most combat experience, is currently outside of the wall on an exploratory expedition. Therefore, we in the Garrison are currently alone in repairing the wall and preparing for an incursion." One Captain of a Garrison squad told everyone who was currently inside, before turning to the newly-graduated cadets of the 104th. "You trainees passed the graduation drills! You're first-class soldiers now, so there will be no slacking off! This may be your first operation, but we expect you to contribute!"

"Don't worry, Hannah… I swear I'll protect you." Franz said to the smaller girl before him, as he held her shoulders.

"Franz…" she said in a worried tone, unaware that Mikasa was watching them from behind Franz. She had already put on her uniform before she turned her head left and right to see if Eren was with them. Last she heard from Armin, he was on top of the wall with Connie and some others so they may have been involved first-hand when the hole was created.

"Eren?" she called out in a worried tone, accompanied by the look in her eyes. She wanted to believe that Eren was strong and he wasn't hurt anyhow if he was indeed up against the Colossal Titan when it showed up, but she didn't know how long she can hold it…

"Mikasa!" The girl quickly turned around as soon as she heard her name; much to her relief and inner joy, Eren ran up to her while panting heavily. He may have likely exhausted himself when he was heading here.

"Eren, are you hurt? Did… Did something horrible happen?" she asked worriedly, putting her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way. "I… I heard from Armin that you were at the top of the wall… and then… the Colossal Titan —" she continued to blabber and Eren started to pat her shoulders to make her stop speaking.

"Alright, alright, that's enough sadness coming from you." He told her with a playful smile, but the worried look didn't disappear from her face at all. He sighed as a result. Sometimes, Mikasa can be _too_ worried for his sake, but he wasn't going to complain about that. He actually liked the attention, honestly speaking. "Look, I'm fine alright? Nothing _too _bad happened to me. I've been through worse, okay?" he told her with a reassuring smile.

Mikasa slowly nodded and hung her head low, and Eren was just about to ask what's wrong, before he felt her arms wrap around him in a hug as she buried her face into his chest. Eren was shocked for a few moments, but he made no move to push her away. All he could do was sigh and look to the side, troubled. Damn, was Mikasa _this_ worried about him? If he had to guess, his mom would be twice more than this.

A few moments later, the girl was finally contented as she pulled away with a blushing face, looking up at Eren with a shy smile. "I'm glad you're safe." she said in a quiet tone, yet enough for him to hear as a smile appeared on his face afterwards.

"You're cute when you're worried about me," he teased.

Although a deeper blush did appear on her face after hearing him compliment her, Mikasa did hear the context of what he said and she only found herself pouting at him as a result, with her eyebrows scrunched slightly. Having her worry _wasn't_ something to be made fun of.

"No wait, you look even cuter when you look like that." Mikasa's eyes widened slightly before she regained herself and just looked away to avoid his gaze, otherwise she wouldn't be able to stop her embarrassment right now. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I was just teasing you, alright?" he apologized, placing his hand on her shoulder which made her look at him slightly. "But for real, you're really cute like that." He winked at her, which was enough to send her embarrassment to another level as she flushed deep red, almost tempted to use her scarf to cover her face. Luckily for her, Eren noticed Armin who was sitting nearby as he turned his attention to his blonde friend.

"Oi, Armin… are you okay?" He sat beside his friend and started to prepare his own gear, until he noticed that Armin was hyperventilating while doing the same. This also got the attention of Mikasa as she looked at Armin with the same worried expression she had for Eren earlier.

"I-I-I'm fine! I'm sure things will settle down soon!" Armin said, although his words didn't match his current expression. He looked like he was about to have a breakdown at any moment. "S-Still, this isn't good! We've still got an eight-meter high hole in the wall and no way to fix it quickly! They put that huge rock near the wall to plug it up, but we can't even move it! A-And the moment we realize that we can't fill in the hole, this town will be abandoned! After that, it's only a matter of time before they get through Wall Rose… to begin with… they could exterminate the human race at any time!"

"Armin!" Eren called out loud, getting the attention of his friend as he snapped out of it. "Calm down, you're letting it get to your head." The white-haired teen said, patting Armin on the shoulder a few times to further calm him down.

The blonde boy seemed to realize what just happened to him as he took a few deep, erratic breaths afterwards. "S-Sorry about that. I'm fine." Armin muttered, looking down on the floor.

* * *

"Just like in your training, each squad will take a different street. You're under Garrison command. Your duties are support, communications, titan-killing and anything else that's needed. The Garrison will take Vanguard, you trainees are Middle Guard, and the Garrison's Elite unit will be Rear Guard. Time for us freeloaders to pay the tab. We've gotta defend Wall Rose to the death… until every last man, woman, and child has been safely evacuated." The commander of the Garrison forces explained to everyone in the military HQ with a stoic expression, before he had a serious look on his face afterwards. "Oh, and as you're aware, deserting in the face of the enemy is considered a capital offense. Be prepared to sacrifice your lives, people. Dismissed!"

All of the soldiers saluted. "Yes, sir!"

While everyone else were beginning to leave in various squads, Jean was struggling to keep his salute until he groaned loudly and looked down. Bertholdt was beside him, looking disciplined as ever while somehow having a sense of sympathy for his fellow cadet.

"Urrggh! Why did it have to be today…?!" He complained loudly before slamming his hand directly to his face. "I'm supposed to go to the interior tomorrow!" Their attention then went to a short silver-haired cadet named **DAZ **when he began to puke badly at the mere mention of fighting titans, as Krista tried her best to help him.

Meanwhile, Mikasa walked up to Eren as the boy looked at her in confusion. Wasn't she supposed to be with another squad? "So…" she began, before looking at Eren with eyes filled with hope. "We're heading into battle together… right?"

"What are you going on about?" Eren looked at her in confusion. "We're supposed to be in different squads!"

"Things don't go by the book… in chaotic circumstances like this, and…" In a move that nearly made Eren fall over in shock, Mikasa flashed a small smirk at him; small enough that it was barely visible, but it could still be seen nonetheless. "I know you enough to know that you'll press on forward with or without a squad. And I'm supposed to reprimand you for that… but…" her smirk turned into a smile. "If I'm with you, at least… I'll join you and we can protect each other… just like what your mother told us to do."

Eren was completely silent for a few seconds and he can only find himself staring at the girl in front of him, since he never saw her like this. She was normally shy and rarely spoke, but where the hell did she get this sudden confidence from? Was it because this is a life-and-death situation? Or perhaps she was really worried for him? He kept his gaze towards her before he finally sighed, grabbing Mikasa by her shoulders and staring straight into her black orbs.

"Look, Mikasa…" he glanced to the side before turning back to her. "I get it, I really do. And as much as I would love to take you up on that offer, I'm gonna have to decline. You take the fight at the middle guard, because I'll be slowly advancing to the vanguard."

Since she was somehow expecting that kind of answer from him, Mikasa simply sent him a look of worry. "You'll be throwing yourself into danger without a squad or someone to look after you." She told him, but Eren only chuckled.

"Mikasa, this'll be one of those few times where I'm gonna have to ask you to put your faith in me… it's not much, but it'll help in the future." he shook his head, before regaining his serious look. "Now let me ask you this. Do you trust me?"

"...I do." Mikasa answered with a nod almost immediately, while keeping her gaze locked against those emerald green eyes that belonged to Eren.

"Then trust me when I say this." He leaned closer to her so that their faces were inches apart. Mikasa's cheeks turned red at his sudden move but she kept her attention to what Eren was about to say. "I'll stay safe, and I'll come back. Safe and sound, without a scratch. I'm not saying this because that's what I think is going to happen… I'm saying this because I _will_ make it happen. With my abilities, the vanguard will lose its stress from having to handle so many titans. You go fight somewhere in the middle guard and stick with a squad. Okay?" He smiled at her in the end.

Although she was sad and she didn't agree with this decision in the slightest, Eren was asking for her to place her trust in him, and she couldn't help but comply. Sometimes, she hated how he can be persuasive to have other people follow his words, but at the same time, it's what makes Eren, Eren.

With a sad smile, Mikasa nodded slowly and Eren grinned in response, before a voice interrupted the two.

"Trainee Eren!" They turned their heads to the man who spoke. He was a Garrison soldier who was known as **IAN DIETRICH**. "You've been specially assigned to rear-guard! Get on over there!" he told the white-haired teen, before looking to the side at some other cadets.

Eren widened his eyes slightly in surprise, before he regained his composure and fired back a defiant grin. "Hell no! I'm not gonna stick around and watch people slowly get out of here, that's boring! I'm going out there to fight the titans!"

That got Ian's attention as he scowled at Eren. "I wasn't asking you for your opinion! The evac's going slowly right now, so we need the best of the best guarding the public!"

"Heh, that's funny…" Eren scoffed before flashing his usual smirk. "Because I wasn't asking for _your_ opinion, either! I'm going out there whether you like it or not!" While Ian was left wide-eyed at his words, Eren quickly wrapped Mikasa with his arms in a hug, before breaking it off after just a few seconds. The girl's face didn't even have time to lighten up with a blush, as she was only left staring at Eren as he slowly walked while also looking at her.

"Eren…" she mumbled. Somehow, she didn't have a good feeling about that hug. It felt more like a… hug that signified… farewell? Mikasa had her look of worry once again plastered on her face as a result. Oh, no.

"Don't die, Mikasa! Later!" He made a finger salute before flying away with his gear.

"Eren!" she tried to call out, but it was too late. He was already flying for the nearest building and heading out into battle. The raven-haired girl was left in her place, staring blankly into the distance as she slowly realized that that may have been the final meeting between her and Eren. She wanted to cry, but… her tears just won't come out. She was just there… standing… alone…

"Tch," Ian seethed. "What is wrong with that kid, going into battle recklessly like that?! He's going to get himself killed! What a waste of talent…" he then turned towards Mikasa. "You! Girl!" She slowly turned towards him, looking like she had lost all signs of hope that she can't even decide for herself.

"Get to your squad and move into your designated street!" Ian told her before moving on, leaving Mikasa in her place. However, she didn't move an inch from her place, as she only found herself looking into the distance once again, where Eren had flown off to. That hug he gave her made her trust in him almost fade away like ashes, because she didn't have a good feeling about it. But now…

Now she had no choice but to make good with that trust… while only hoping that Eren _can_ make it back safe.

* * *

Eren managed to find the squad where Armin was in and decided to join them en route to the vanguard. As he landed on the building where they were, his blonde friend widened his eyes at seeing Eren here. The same could be said for Mina, Thomas, and two other cadets named **NAK** and **MILIEUS**.

"Hey, mind if I join your squad to fight the titans?" Eren asked with a grin, waving his hand towards them in greeting.

Armin was speechless for a few seconds before he shook his head and realized that his eyes weren't deceiving him. "Eren, I… I thought you were assigned to help at the rear-guard." Armin said in disbelief.

Eren shrugged. "Well, sticking around while watching a bunch of people get to safety isn't my style. Too boring for my taste. That's why I decided to find you and fight the titans up close and personal. Do you have any room left in this squad for one more, though?" he asked, looking at his fellow cadets who were with Armin.

"Hey, we'll be lucky to have you here with us. There's always room for one more." Thomas laughed, with Milleus and Nak nodding as well.

"Yay! Eren's gonna fight with us!" Mina cheered.

Armin smiled for a few moments, before he remembered something. There's someone who was with Eren earlier, right? Why wasn't she with him? "Eren… where's Mikasa?" The blonde teen said with worry in his tone, while Eren felt his smirk disappearing as he turned around and looked to the other side of the town.

"She's in another squad right now, most likely to that part of the district." Eren pointed out, before turning back to Armin. "She'll be fine, have some faith in her. She graduated as the third best in our class, right?" Eren said, his smirk appearing once again.

"Yeah…" Armin slowly nodded, a smile slowly forming on his face.

Eren looked into the distance before them, directly at the titans that were roaming the areas near the breach in the wall. "Hey, this is a good opportunity, don't you think?" Armin looked at Eren in confusion before the white-haired teen continued. "I mean, before applying for the Survey Corps… if we prove ourselves in this first battle, they'll make us fresh recruits…" Eren then turned to his friend with a smug grin. "And watch how fast we get promoted up the ladder!"

Armin was silent for a few seconds before he realized what Eren meant. "Yeah…" he said, a grin of his own forming on his face. "No doubt about it!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble…" Mina interrupted them with a determined look of her own. "But a lot of people in our class are applying for the Survey Corps!"

"You left me in the dust before, Eren…" Thomas spoke. "But this time, I'm keeping up! And to make it interesting, let's see who can slay more titans!"

"Ha, you're on Thomas!" Eren grinned widely. "Just as long as you don't fudge your numbers!"

"Squad 34, advance!" A voice screamed out of nowhere, quickly getting Armin's attention.

"That's our cue, everyone!" Armin told his squadmates as Eren pointed one of his swords forward.

"Then let's go!" Eren exclaimed.

"YEAH!" Everyone else cheered on, before they finally flew off using their gears.

As they traversed through the streets, it was then that they only noticed how many titans were already approaching the middle guard. The areas near the wall were already filled with titans everywhere.

"This isn't right! They're even roping the middle guard all the way to the vanguard!" Eren said, confused with the situation right now. _"That's what I was going to do, but…"_ he thought to himself.

"All those titans already…" Mina muttered.

"What's going on?! Usually, our peers in the vanguard hog all the action…" said Nak.

"Even though not much time has passed…" Thomas said, frowning in confusion. "Has the advance guard already collapsed?"

_"What's going on over there?"_ Eren said internally, wondering what was happening near the gate. _"How can those bastards take up territory that fast? Could it be that something —"_

"It's an abnormal!" Armin shouted, snapping Eren out of his thoughts as they noticed something fast approaching from the side.

"Dodge!" Eren told them, as they struggled to get through without getting harmed. However, they were only barely able to do just that as a titan zoomed past them and latched onto a tower. Eren and the others quickly landed on another building as they turned to the abnormal with widened eyes.

The titan turned around with Thomas in its mouth, looking horrified and scared for dear life. He had tears in his eyes as he looked at his friends on the building where they were standing.

The white-haired teen gritted his teeth, feeling that he had been useless again. "Shit! Thomas! Hang on, you'll be —" Eren couldn't even finish his words, because the abnormal had already gulped down its meal, and Thomas was gone.

The whole squad shook as Thomas got eaten before their very eyes, fear taking over them. Fear of what the titans can do to them. Eren meanwhile, had something different in his mind. Once again he failed to do something good, and that was because he was forced to hide what he was capable of doing. He couldn't do anything right, because he needed to keep his blood a secret. _"Again… I let it happen… again…"_ Eren began blaming himself for what happened, just as the abnormal detached itself from the building and began crawling away through the rooftops.

Feeling that he was responsible for Thomas' death, Eren suddenly had the urge to go and avenge him, and he did. Acting completely out of himself, Eren went after the abnormal with pure anger in his eyes, completely different to his usual demeanor.

"Hey…! Hold it right there, you ugly-ass bastard…!" Eren flew off, as his comrades cried out for his name.

"Don't go off on your own!" Milieus shouted, but Eren didn't listen.

"Eren, stop!" Armin yelled out before he saw another titan from below, looking at Eren intently as the teen was about to pass by through the air. "Stop! There's another one below you!"

Feeling a presence underneath him, Eren looked down and saw another titan jumping up in an attempt to catch him in its mouth. Acting out of instinct, Eren used his **Air Trick** in order to avoid the titan as it missed him, before reappearing at a distance close to its nape. "You're mine, bastard!" Eren fired his gear towards the nape and drew in close to attack, killing the titan immediately.

Eren narrowed his eyes and quickly took off, heading for the rooftop where he last saw the abnormal that ate Thomas. He didn't even notice that he unintentionally showed one of his hidden abilities to Armin and the rest of his squad, and in their case, they were left frozen in the place as Eren flew off.

"What was… that?" Mina breathed out in disbelief.

"What the hell… did he just do…" Nak said in the same tone as her.

It all happened so fast. Just when they thought Eren was about to get eaten by that titan, he suddenly disappeared into thin air! They actually thought their eyes were only deceiving them but before they knew it, Eren reappeared again, but only this time he was behind the titan! They didn't know how to feel after that, even though that he did kill the monster with that.

Armin didn't have any words as well, with his eyes telling the story. "I… I know… I know what I saw…" Armin mumbled, recounting the events that happened a while ago even if they happened oh so quick. "He… Eren, he… Eren… disappeared… in mid-air… then he showed up… again…"

"Well, how the hell can he do that?! Because that shit ain't normal at all!" Milieus said, snapping out of his shock and now he wanted to know what happened behind it.

"I… I don't know…" Despite his brains, Armin couldn't figure out _exactly_ what happened.

"You're his friend, aren't you?! How can you _not_ know?"

Armin turned to Milieus and shook his head. "He is, but… he's always been easygoing and calm… back then, he wasn't like that. He was a lot more serious… until Shiganshina fell five years ago." Mina, Nak, and Milieus listened to Armin closely as their eyes slowly widened at hearing Eren's story. "After that… he began to change… he began to laugh and smile a lot more… he even learned how to flirt with girls… as if he forgot that the titans took his home away from him. I actually thought he was going crazy, but… he wasn't. He just… He used it as his drive and motivation to join the military and then the Survey Corps…"

"You mean…?" Nak trailed off.

Armin nodded slowly. "This is the first time… in five years… that I've seen Eren this serious… which means… his smiles… laughter… and the smirks he showed us… they all hid something about him that we didn't even know… not even me…" Armin smiled sadly. "Only Eren can answer your question, Milieus…"

"Well then, let's ask him!" Mina shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Look! He's just standing there, not doing anything!" She pointed towards the rooftop where the abnormal was perched on top of earlier. The others turned around, before seeing that there was one person standing on top, and the familiar mop of white hair was all that they needed to figure out it was indeed Eren.

"You're right, he's just right there!" Nak exclaimed, getting ready to take off. "Let's go catch up to him before he leaves and ask him what happened!" The others nodded, except for Armin, as they flew off and headed to the rooftop where Eren was.

Armin was still for a few more seconds, before he took a deep breath and followed after his fellow cadets. He also wanted to know what was going on, and he actually felt quite sad. He was supposed to be Eren's friend, if not best friend, and yet he didn't know what he really felt under his usual smirks and smiles. _"Eren… what are you hiding under all this?"_ He thought to himself.

As soon as the squad reached the rooftop, they made a run for the white-haired teen, who appeared to be pondering over something as he had a deep scowl on his face.

"Eren! Hold it right there!" Mina yelled, running towards the top cadet of their class.

Armin followed shortly, reaching the rooftop after they all did, and he saw the other three asking Eren multiple questions at the same time. However, his friend looked like he was completely ignoring them, his eyes deeply fixated on something else. The blonde approached them as he landed, as he can only hope that Eren hasn't snapped.

"Come on, Eren! Answer us!"

"Yeah, how did you disappear all of a sudden?! We saw you about to get eaten but then you avoided it!"

"Eren, I know you're the best out of all us, but this is just crazy shit. How did you do it?"

Eren continued to ignore them all as Armin finally reached him, sighing deeply. He was worried that Eren would ignore him too, but whatever, it was worth a shot. Armin could only hope that his friend won't push him aside for whatever he had in his mind right now.

"Eren… what happened back there?" Armin asked, looking at the white-haired teen with an expression that clearly meant he wanted answers.

Much to his, and everyone's relief, Eren finally snapped out of his serious state. However, he only closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before speaking in a tone that went different from his normal voice.

"They're here."

Everyone around him rose an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Wha…?"

Milieus narrowed his eyes at Eren. "If you're talking about the titans, then we already knew about that ever since that Colossal Titan appeared!" he said in a somewhat pissed tone. Was Eren playing dumb or something? "Now is not the time for your games!"

"It's not the titans." Eren replied, still speaking in a serious voice.

"What are you talking about?"

Eren didn't answer, and he instead pointed to the streets down below that he had his eyes on ever since he lost that abnormal. Everyone followed his sight, and they could only widen their eyes at what they are seeing.

Multiple creatures, somehow grotesque-looking and hideous, were roaming all around the areas below. There were no other soldiers around, possibly because they had their full attention on the titans. Only Squad 34, Armin's squad, was there to witness those creatures hop around on one leg, slashing at everything around them with their other one, which had been replaced by a massive blade.

"What the fuck are those?!" Milieus took a step back, obviously terrified.

"Are they another type of abnormals?!" Nak shouted, widening his eyes as he gulped nervously.

Mina was too terrified to even say anything and if she could, she would shriek right now and call for help. She had never seen these creatures before, and the fact that they were about the size of a human, only made them scary.

"What… are they…?" Armin breathed out, fear taking over him like earlier in HQ. They may have just found something as terrifying as the titans, if not more than that.

"Demons…" Eren said as he opened his eyes, causing everyone to turn to him.

"Eren, what did you just say?" said Nak.

"They're demons. **SCARECROWS**, to be precise." Eren narrowed his eyes at the demons down below. "Nasty little bitches. Can be killed quite easily since they're slow, but can cut you up and make you bleed if you're not fast enough."

Everyone else looked at him in shock. Did he know something, after all?!

"What the fuck?!" Milieus said, fearing for his life. "Are you saying there's something we have to worry about other than those titans?!"

"Eren, answer him! We already have the titans to worry about and now, this! What is going on?!" Mina yelled, desperate for answers. If Eren knew something, they may just be saved!

"Eren…" Compared to the others, Armin had a calm tone, although that was just him suppressing his own fear. "What do you know about all this? The titans are everywhere and many soldiers are fighting with their lives on the line, and now this." Armin looked at those creatures below. "Please tell us the truth."

Much to his surprise, Eren broke his serious expression and looked at Armin with his signature smirk. "Tell you? I can just show you, if you want." He said, shocking the other three cadets with them.

"W-What do you mean?!" Armin asked, since he didn't know what Eren meant. He was going to show them… but how would that work? Does he mean his words wouldn't be enough so he had to show it?

***start playing Nero's DMC5 theme, "Devil Trigger"***

Everyone then looked at Eren in confusion when he began to take off his ODM gear. Did he have a death wish or something?! "Sorry about earlier." Eren said in an embarrassed tone. "I accidentally used my **Air Trick** without thinking… then you guys had to see it, and now you're here… but anyway, at least you'll get a front-row view of the show."

"Show? Air trick? What the hell are you going on about, Eren?! Tell us something!" Milieus said, almost ready to stomp over and punch Eren in the face for playing around at a time like this.

Just then, Eren finished taking off his gear and threw it at Nak, who caught it in his hands. "Mind holding on to that for a while? It's gonna get in the way while I work." He said, before beginning to unwrap the bandages that covered his right arm. _"This is it… I can finally unleash my true power!"_ He thought with a determined expression.

"Eren… why did you just take off your gear…? And… what are you doing with you arm…? Wasn't it badly burned…?" Armin said. He was so confused with how Eren was acting, that any moment right now, he felt that he could collapse.

"Look, I know you all have questions, and I'm willing to answer all of them." Eren said, as he continued to unwrap the bandages. His statement got a look of hope from the others as they listened to him closely. "But right now, I have a mission to fulfill. You can ask me all the questions you want later… I won't turn down any of them." He then looked back at them. "It's time I show you all… what I'm _really_ capable of." With a single swipe, he took off the bandages and revealed his **Devil Bringer** to everyone else.

"HOLY FUCK!" Milieus fell on his butt as he looked at Eren in both shock and fear.

Nak dropped the ODM gear he was holding and pointed his sword at Eren out of fear, though his hand was shaking so he wasn't able to grip it properly. Mina froze in place, unable to even react anyhow. Thinking that Eren was an enemy, or probably a titan all along, she just waited for him to take her life.

"Eren… wha…?" Armin was unable to even blurt out anything else, as he looked at his "friend" with wide eyes. Was he even his friend at this point? Tons of questions stormed the blonde's mind right now, and they all crammed together which made him unable to even speak properly. Was this… Was this what Eren hid from all of them throughout all these years?

Eren just smiled at their reactions. Well, it was better than what he had expected. He thought they would immediately charge at him and think he was a titan, but anyway, this makes things easier. "Guys…" he spoke, which for some reason, terrified everyone even more. "Whatever happens… I want you to know that I'm on your side. It just so happened that I'm like this." He raised his right arm and pointed to it with his free hand.

"Eren…" Armin breathed out, finally able to speak properly. "What are you?" he asked, with his eyes pleading for an answer.

"I'm your friend, Armin." The white-haired teen answered with a small smile, which caused the blonde's eyes to widen considerably before his smirk returned. "But at the same time, I'm also the demons' worst nightmare…"

Eren turned around and got ready to jump down, but not before sending one last look at his fellow cadets. "You guys go on ahead and fight the titans. I'll take care of the demons and even kill some titans for myself. Catch you later!" He said, saluting them before finally jumping down to the ground, unaware that Armin and the others watched him as he did so.

Eren started to walk towards the Scarecrows along the street. "Hey, dickheads! You looking for me?!" He called out, which got the attention of the demons as he raised his demonic arm. "I bet you got attracted to this, huh?! Well it's free, so come and get it!"

All of the Scarecrows then hopped slowly towards him as Eren held out his left arm, summoning the Rebellion into his hand before placing it on his back. "This arm may be free, but I'm not gonna make it easy for you!" He then held out both of his arms as Dante's pistols, Ebony and Ivory, appeared in his hands before he aimed them at the approaching Scarecrows.

Armin had shock written all over his face as he watched the scene below as did his fellow cadets. _"Today… was a day I'll never forget. Today was the day that the titans once again attacked, and not only that… demons exist despite being a myth and it turns out… they are a threat like the titans… but the one thing I'll never forget is that…"_

"Let's dance, you pieces of shit!" Eren had a shit-eating grin on his face as he charged forward against the Scarecrows.

_"...there's someone who is willing to fight against his own kind for humanity's sake."_

* * *

_**And that ends this chapter! Damn, what a cliffhanger to end everything right?**_ _**Demons have arrived along with the titans, and that means Eren can finally unleash his true power! The battle continues next chapter, with Eren killing demons left and right and even some titans that he encounters along the way. Can he make a difference now that his true nature has been revealed to the world? Or will titans and demons be too much for him? Tune in next chapter!**_

_**By the way, I hope you get what I'm trying to pull off with my take in Mikasa's character. Instead of following canon and making her go from weak frail girl to an emotionless killing machine obsessing over Eren, I made her start as the same, while also giving her a proper personality. I thought she could fit the shy and cute type of personality since the Mikasa from canon can be cute when she wants to. It would also make her different from Sasha, who is bubbly and cheerful2; Annie, who is a cold tsundere; and Krista (whose real personality will come in the future) who is kind and sweet.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance **_


	10. Bang! Bang! Bang!

_**Just celebrated my birthday yesterday, so this got delayed a bit. Hahaha sorry! XD**_

_**Disclaimer**_:_** I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

_***continue playing Nero's DMC5 theme "Devil Trigger"***_

As soon as he got close enough to the scarecrows, Eren immediately stopped in his tracks and let loose a barrage of bullets towards the incoming demons. He continued firing and eventually to walk closer to one of them, before stopping and using Rebellion to finish it off. He did the same for the two other scarecrows nearby, showing off the results of his training with Dante.

After dealing with them, Eren used his **Air Trick **to immediately get to another one, sending the scarecrow up into the air where he seemingly defied gravity by keeping the demon suspended there by firing at it with his guns. "WOOHOO!" He cheered, having fun playing with his enemies like this. That ended fairly quickly when two other scarecrows closed in on him, forcing Eren to jump up in the air and finish off the suspended one with his sword. Looking down, he saw the remaining four scarecrows all in a group, and he smirked.

"The weather for today is going to be _raining bullets_!" He yelled, pulling out Ebony and Ivory and firing before spinning in the air as he fell back down, allowing him to hit all of them at once. Eren landed on one of the scarecrows' heads and landing back down on the ground.

"Come on, is that all you got?!" He taunted, pointing his sword at the scarecrows. All of a sudden, one of them who was sneaking behind the teen, of which it had a yellowish color instead of those blue ones everywhere, jumped up and aimed its blade for Eren's head.

"EREN! BEHIND YOU!" A voice rang out of nowhere, with the voice belonging to none other than Armin.

Eren quickly rolled to the side to avoid it and performed one of Dante's signature moves after, which was the **Stinger**. "YEEAAAAHHH!" he shouted, catching the scarecrow in his attack before moving his arm back and forth at an almost-impossible as he unleashed the **Million Stabs** that sent the scarecrow flying towards one of the buildings, still alive but not for long.

"I see you're a tougher one unlike your other shit-face buddies… well, come here!" Eren taunted again, before he used his **Devil Bringer** to snatch the scarecrow back to him. "Catch this!" He then lifted up the monster with his demonic arm, before slamming it back down on the ground, effectively killing it. Turning, he quickly noticed another scarecrow spinning around with its blade leg sticking out and he jumped up to avoid it, before bringing down Rebellion in a massive slice from above that destroyed the demon.

"I'm getting tired of your faces so I'm just going to end this!" Eren shouted as he snatched one of the remaining scarecrows and did the same thing as he did earlier, lifting it up and slamming the bastard down hard.

* * *

While he was busy dealing with the scarecrows, his fellow cadets kept on watching him from the rooftop where they stood. They all had the same look of confusion, shock, and fear in one expression as they looked at Eren. Gone was the fun-loving, playful and smirking prodigy whom they all knew during their military days and got replaced with this… _being_.

Armin slowly put it together as he watched. So… Eren was like _them_. He was a demon. And demons _exist_. They exist just like how the titans do. But, did demons have human bodies? If their real appearance was like those… _scarecrows_ down there, then maybe there's something about Eren that they didn't know about yet. But was he truly like them? He himself warned Eren of that scarecrow earlier out of instinct, since… well… he couldn't just forget over a decade's worth of friendship that he shared with the white-haired teen. But if demons were like the titans, their enemy, then is Eren their enemy? Not really likely, considering he himself had said that he was the "demons' worst nightmare" just earlier… yeah, maybe it wasn't the time to assume the worst.

It was then that Armin realized something. What were they doing here, standing around? Everyone was risking their lives, doing their best to fight the titans, but they were just here watching someone do the work for them? Maybe he was just being a burden all along, then? That he wasn't capable of doing anything helpful?

No… screw the fact that he was a burden. He wasn't going to stand by idly and watch while everybody else does the work for him.

"Guys!" He shouted, getting the attention of everyone else. "Why are we only standing here doing nothing?! Eren may be handling those monsters down there, but the titans are still invading this town! We can't let that happen! Let's move to another street and advance forward from there!"

"Good idea! Maybe we can see a senior officer on the way and ask him to put down that… monster!" Mina said, pointing to Eren with complete fear in her eyes. She couldn't even say his name anymore.

"Snap out of it, Mina!" Armin told her with pleading eyes. "Eren isn't our enemy! Those… demons he's fighting… they are the enemy! They're the enemies along with the titans! And we can't let them win!"

"Armin, are you out of your mind?!" Milieus looked at him in disbelief, before pointing towards Eren in the distance accusingly. "How can you say _he's_ not the enemy?! He's one of them, for fuck's sake! Didn't you even see that fucking arm of his, earlier?!"

Armin tried to reason with them before this would go on any longer. "I did, but —!"

"Then you know he ain't one of us! He's the enemy like them!" He said, before getting up as he felt a surge of determination run through his whole body. Like it was telling him to… _put an end to the devil_. "And because he's the enemy, I'm gonna put him down like the rest of his kind!" His words appeared to have gotten to Mina and Nak, as they too prepared to fly down and kill Eren, but Armin stopped them with his own self, getting in their way.

"You can't! You have to see the truth before it's too late!" Armin pleaded, but his words didn't reach into his squadmates.

Milieus glared at the blonde. "Get out of the way Armin, or we'll think you're one of those monsters too… and you're helping —!" He was then cut off his words when Armin delivered a right hook straight to his jaw, making him fall back.

Mina and Nak looked at the fallen Milieus in shock, before turning to Armin afterwards, who was breathing heavily as he still had that desperate look on his face. "Listen to me!" he cried out, making sure his voice was loud enough so that his fellow cadets will have no choice but to listen to him. "Eren is NOT our enemy! If he was, then why would he fight with us against the titans?! Why would he spend three years in the military with us if he could've just killed us at any moment?!"

"That's…" Milieus tried to argue while holding his sore jaw, but he wasn't able to think of anything.

"And just look!" Armin moved so that they can have a view of Eren fighting against the scarecrows. "He's fighting against _our_ enemies! If he was one of them, he wouldn't need to do that! He wouldn't fight against his own kind, but he did and he's doing that right now!"

Everything was silent around them after that. Mina and Nak could only stare at Armin after that, unable to come up with anything that could be an answer to the blonde teen. They even turned their attention towards Eren for a few moments, only to see him continuing to eliminate demon after demon. It took a full minute for them to finally respond, each one releasing a deep sigh as they looked down in shame.

"Maybe… Maybe you're right, Armin…" Nak finally spoke out, but Armin stood his ground firmly, thinking that they were trying to get to his head before they would strike. "Eren… Eren could have made a move to kill us… throughout those years when… when we were in the military… but… he never did…"

Armin looked at Nak as he spoke, with Mina getting his attention next since she too began to speak her mind. "I… I… think I get it now too…" she said, taking deep breaths in between her phrases. "Eren… Eren's always been on our side…" she then looked in the distance where the white-haired teen was fighting. "Especially now…"

Nak smiled apologetically at Armin. "Sorry about that, Armin… you'll have to excuse us for how we acted just now, but… well… you can't exactly blame us either for reacting that way." He explained, while scratching the back of his head. "Finding out that Eren was a… _demon_ while we're under attack by titans is not a really fitting scenario to reveal a secret like his."

Armin kept a serious expression for a few more seconds, looking to detect if there were any lies in Nak's words before he finally nodded in understanding.

"Yeah… I'm sorry for how I acted too…" The three turned to Milieus, who supported himself up on his elbows. "I wasn't thinking straight just earlier… maybe I let my fear of those titans affect my mind too much… it clouded my judgement. I guess we'll just have to ask Eren to explain everything later…" He looked at Armin with a grin. "Thanks for that punch, Armin… that was a good wake-up call."

The blonde sighed in relief as he smiled as well, realizing that he managed to successfully convince his squadmates to give Eren a chance.

Milieus took another glance at Eren from afar and slowly came to realize something, a smile slowly forming on his face. "Hey… look at Eren's arm…" he nudged his head to make everyone else turn around to look at the white-haired teen. "Look at him decimating those bastards with it… if he's really on our side, then… the titans won't know what hit them…!"

Armin, Mina, and Nak thought about that possibility and the more they did, the more they liked it. Eren using that weird demon arm to fight the titans? Humanity just may have had its beacon of hope right here!

"And… And those guns too… he's using them like a veteran…! I…Imagine what he can— AGGHHH!" Milieus was cut off from his sentence when he suddenly got taken away by a giant hand, with his scream immediately ringing through the others' ears as they turned around in alarm.

Amazingly, that particular scream also rang in Eren's ears, as he glanced at the rooftop where he had left Armin and the others.

Their eyes widened when a 4-meter titan was on the rooftop with them, having a terrified Mileus in its grasp as it slowly lifted its hand closer to its mouth. The three could only watched in horror as their comrade was going to be eaten before their eyes. Milieus whimpered loudly in fear, unable to do anything to fight back.

"Milieus!" Armin cried out with tears in his eyes, only it was too late. The titan had already gulped down Milieus and it only took a few seconds before it turned its attention to its next meal. _Them_.

That managed to snap Nak out of his trance as he turned to Mina. "Quick! Let's kill it!" Nak said in desperation, snapping Mina out of her trance as the two prepared themselves for combat. While this was happening, Armin couldn't even move, speak or do anything. He was only frozen in place at the sight of a titan up close and personal, one that could eat him at a moment's glance.

Mina quickly fired her gear and went behind the titan to aim for its nape, only for the monster to reach out to her with its hand, inadvertently pushing her wire away and preventing her from attaching. She was then sent flying away, crashing on the rooftop before continuously rolling down because of its angle.

Nak, meanwhile, had no chance of attacking at all because as soon as he fired his gear towards the back of the titan's neck, it grabbed him and wasted no time at all. As he saw Mina fall from the rooftop, Nak could only scream in terror, with his life flashing before his eyes.

_"Why…" _Armin thought, confused with his own self. _"Why… do I… have to watch my comrades being eaten?"_ While he was contemplating with what was happening, Nak was already in the titan's mouth as a whole while another titan found Mina's unconscious body after falling from the roof. It wouldn't take a genius to find out what happened when she began opening her eyes slightly.

"Why…" Armin continued to speak to himself, just as the titan before him lifted him up by his shirt before opening its mouth wide to be able to swallow him whole. It had his hand high, directly above its mouth. "...won't my body move…?" Armin looked down at the titan, before it let go of his shirt and causing him to fall.

***SLASH!***

Armin did fall down, but not straight into the mouth of the titan. The blonde quickly looked to the side as soon as he heard of a blade cutting flesh, and he was able to see Eren using his sword to kill the titan by slicing through its nape. How he got here when he was busy fighting earlier wasn't really important in Armin's mind, since he began falling back to the rooftop.

As soon as he heard the scream from that particular rooftop, Eren gritted his teeth and quickly dispatched of the remaining scarecrows around. Damn, these bitches are really a pain in the neck. Shooting the last one dead, Eren quickly made a run for it and climbed up the building using his **Air Trick**, as he saw Armin about to get eaten by a 4-meter titan. He charged in without hesitation, running towards the back of the titan and jumping up high before slashing through the nape with the Rebellion.

Once he was sure that the titan was disposed of, Eren quickly caught Armin in mid-air as they landed on the rooftop and he immediately set his blonde friend down.

"Are you okay, Armin?" Eren asked, panting slightly as he placed his right arm on Armin's shoulder in concern.

Although the fact that a hideous, demonic-looking arm was on _his_ shoulder, Armin didn't make a move to scream or anything like that. This couldn't compare to how he felt earlier, while a titan was grabbing ahold of him… when he was so close to meeting his end. "I'm… okay… t… thank you… Eren…" he breathed out with the same of shock he had since earlier, not changing his expression at all.

Thinking that Armin was afraid of his arm, Eren quickly pulled away. "Sorry about that. You must be really caught off guard with this, huh?" The white-haired teen asked.

"No… it's… fine…" Armin shook his head to answer him, despite feeling the same as he was earlier. Completely useless.

Eren sighed deeply, knowing that that wasn't true. He was sure that Armin had questions for him, now that he basically revealed himself to the world. Questions about his arm, the sword on his back, and the guns he had on both his sides that replaced the area where his gear was supposed to be. That was when he noticed that it was only just the two of them on the rooftop, without anyone else. He frowned, before remembering that there was a titan here _just_ moments ago and he killed it… but for how long was that bastard here even before he got back?

"Armin… where are the others…?" Eren asked, fear in his tone. He had a feeling on what _happened_, but from what it seems, he was too afraid to think it was real. It's like he didn't _want_ to.

While still having that same look on his face, the blonde slowly shook his head, which confirmed Eren's fear as he slammed his fist down in frustration. He felt he had led them to their deaths, all because he wasn't fast enough to get to them. His face became deadly serious as a result, as no signs of his easy-going self could be seen before he stood up with his hair shadowing over his eyes.

"Armin… I know you have a lot of questions…" he muttered, before looking into the distance where the titans were. "But with those titans in the way… I can't take a risk like that. Now that the demons have also showed up, I need to make sure if they're all killed. This just isn't my lucky day. I'm going on ahead to fight, you get going and regroup with another squad. I'll answer everything you want to ask me later. But don't die." He took one last glance at Armin before leaving, only for his friend's voice to stop him in his tracks, preventing him from doing so.

"Why…" Despite him saying that he would answer Armin's questions later on, Eren stopped for a moment and listened to his friend. "Why did…" Armin slowly looked up at him, breaking his shocked expression as he had a face that conveyed confusion instead. "Why did you save me…? You're… You're a demon, right…?" he slowly asked.

Eren looked at him for a few seconds before his serious expression broke, and flashed a small smile. "We're going to see the outside world together, right? We can't do that if one of us is missing, Armin." He answered, before finally running off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

Armin was left wide-eyed and speechless after hearing what Eren just said. That… That made him remember something from their past… wherein he was showing Eren a book. It wasn't just a regular book, but it was something special. It held different kinds of wonder which the outside world had in store for them, once they finally leave these walls. Eren, at first, didn't like it in fear of being caught by the MPs, but was eventually drawn to various things that Armin mentioned like the "sea", which was a huge body of water filled with salt and more. From then on, they swore to one day explore the outside world and get out of these walls and that memory hasn't left his mind ever since.

In Armin's mind, nobody except Eren had any idea of this dream they shared… not even Mikasa.

The fact that Eren brought it up despite being a demon… and he didn't even deny that second fact…

He finally realized it.

_"A demon… fighting… for humanity…"_ was all that Armin could think about right now.

* * *

The battle raged on, and countless titans were approaching the wall from almost every direction. The Garrison members on top of the wall were doing their best to repel them with various cannon shot, but none of them were able to get the job done. Every time they would bring one down with a good aim, it would only heal and get back to walking towards the wall.

"This isn't even doing enough to buy us time!" One of them said in fear, as he kept on firing shot after shot, but wasn't successful. Was it because of his aim? Or perhaps the presence of fear?

"Shut up, moron! If you have time to talk, you have time to raise the firepower!" Another Garrison soldier spoke, pointing to the town that was behind them. "Your wife and daughter are inside this wall, aren't they?!"

"Yeah! I don't wanna let any more titans in the town! But the cannons aren't really…" he looked down in fear, wondering if all their efforts would even pay off if the titans only continued to swarm them in huge numbers.

"We've got no choice! The advance team that was supposed to finish 'em off got decimated!"

"Damn it!" Multiple soldiers all around them all had looks of fear, since the titans just kept on coming without stopping. With every hit they take, they heal and continue in their slow trudge towards the town.

"Goddammit!"

"Just keep firing!"

Unknown to them, Eren Yeager was busy decimating titan after titan that came through the wall, easily getting their attention with his taunting and loud voice. Combining both the ability of his arm to 'snatch' and his **Air Trick**, he was able to dispose of them with ease and without even getting harmed in the process. He also kept a close eye at his surroundings, trying to scout for any more demons but much to his surprise, none have shown up so far. However, even with this strategy, the titans kept on coming through the massive hole in the wall without stopping which didn't lessen the problem one bit.

Taking a rest from slaying titans, Eren teleported to the top of the nearest rooftop and gritted his teeth. _"Damn it! These titans just keep on coming! I could use Yamato to take out many of them at once, but that's not gonna do anything either with that hole in the wall!"_ Eren looked at the eight-meter high hole and looked down to try and think of a possible solution. _"I don't have much experience in using my father's sword too, since Dante mainly trained me in using his sword and guns… but there's got to be a way to seal that hole! Think…!"_ He thought deeply to himself, before an earlier conversation with Armin sparked in his mind.

_"Rock… Rock… that's it…!"_ He started to remember it now, when Armin mentioned that giant rock back in HQ that could be used to seal the hole, only they didn't know how. _"I'll just use that and the titans won't be able to get in!"_ He raised his right arm and clenched his fist. _"I really don't think my arm alone can carry the weight of that rock… but looking back… it's because of this I was able to save my mom in the first place… I'll have to put my faith in this…!"_

"Alright, time to head for that rock!" Eren exclaimed, about to leave and search for the giant rock Armin told him about, only to stop when his ears picked up a strange wheezing sound from above and it caused him to look up.

_"What the hell is that thing?"_ The white-haired teen said to himself, seeing an armored being with wings floating up in the sky, while also having a massive lance in its grasp. _"Okay, last I heard, titans don't have any wings or can even fly… and they obviously don't have any weapons with those naked bodies they have… which only means…"_

The armored being, which was also known as **BIANCO ANGELO**, then began to descended, navigating through the air as it passed through the buildings of Trost.

"A demon!" Eren pointed out, as he noticed that the armor was flying into the direction of the military HQ, and he immediately chased after it. "Crap! It's headed for everyone near the HQ! I need to kill it quick!" He was lucky that the demon wasn't that fast in flying through the air, allowing him to catch up little by little, but he didn't take any chances. Extending his demonic arm multiple times, he pulled himself through distances across the rooftops in an attempt to stop the Angelo from getting to everyone else.

* * *

…

…

…

"—in…!"

…

…

…

"Armin!"

"-!" The blonde teen snapped out of his trance as he was brought back to reality by Connie, who had placed his hands on Armin's shoulders and begun shaking him back and forth to bring him back to his senses.

"Wake up!"

"C-Connie!" Armin exclaimed in surprise at seeing the eighth best cadet in their ranks.

"Are you hurt?!" Connie asked in worry, before he noticed just now that there wasn't a single person around Armin. No soldiers or anything. If they haven't found him sooner, he may have went straight into a titan's stomach and it would be too late. "Hey! Where's your squad?!"

"S-Squad…?" Armin all but muttered in confusion.

"Come on, get a hold of yourself already! Why are all alone?!" Connie then noticed a strange viscous slime on the blonde's uniform, before using his hand to check it for himself. "And you've got slime all over you…!" He threw the substance on his fingers in disgust before turning back to Armin. "What the hell happened?!"

"..." Armin couldn't find an answer to that question for the next few moments, before he struggled to try and remember what exactly happened. "...Ah…" he tried to speak out, only for all of it to come crashing back to him.

_Milieus taken right in front of his eyes._

_Mina falling from the rooftop._

_Nak eaten as he did nothing but watch._

Armin fell to his knees and grasped his hair tightly in his grip. "WAAAH!" He cried out in despair, with tears streaming out of his eyes. Never before had he felt like this. Sure, there were times where he had been the same but never before had he felt so useless… and so… _weak_.

"Armin…!" Connie screamed out of worry for his friend.

As he was crying over the loss of his comrades, his mind slowly went back to how he was almost eaten by a titan too… until Eren saved him from his death. Until someone… who wasn't even _human_ as he figured out, saved him. Someone… who also happened to be busy fighting _demons_… saved him before he could become titan food. It did nothing to lessen the grief that Armin felt upon realizing what he did.

"...You… useless bastard…! You… You should've just died too…!" Armin shouted, and it wasn't hard to figure out that he was referring to himself. Connie quickly placed his hands back on Armin's shoulders and rocked him back and forth to snap him out of his state.

"Hey… calm down!" he said, trying his best to calm the blonde cadet down. "Armin, get a hold of yourself! Where is everyone?"

"Oh, just leave it, Connie!" came the voice of a girl who stood at the edge of the rooftop where they were, scouting the area for any nearby titans. "They've all been wiped out except for this guy!" Ymir said in a brash tone, apparently not having any sort of concern for the blonde who was going through a breakdown.

Connie looked up at Ymir and glared. "S-Shut up! Armin didn't say anything about that!" he yelled at her.

"Urgh, look around!" Ymir glanced at him and groaned. "It should be obvious, you idiot! And we don't have any time to pamper him when there are still titans roaming around the district!"

"Then why is Armin the only one who made it?! Answer me!" Connie stood up and demanded an answer from the girl, who merely sneered in response.

"The titans probably thought he was already a corpse." Taking a glance at the blonde teen, she noticed how white he had become in shock, as well as the grief and despair in his eyes. "I'm sorry he encountered multiple titans…" she turned back to surveying the area for their enemies before shrugging her shoulders. "...but rescuing this loser isn't worth the sacrifices of the rest of his squad."

Even though he was already distracted by thoughts of himself being absolutely useless and weak, Armin was still able to hear what Ymir said, and it made him feel lower than he already was. So… because of him… his… squad was… dead…

"Tsk…!" Connie glared hard at her before gritting his teeth. "Hey, you stupid bitch…" he stormed over to her but Ymir looked like she didn't give a shit. "How about I make it so you never say a damn word again?!"

Suddenly, Krista inserted herself between them both with a serious face. "Both of you, stop it!" she scolded, frowning at the two before it turned into a look of remorse. "Everyone is frazzled! All of us are! I mean, suddenly a bunch of our friends are dead… of course we're upset!"

Ymir then pulled the blonde girl into a hug while having her tongue stuck out in a silly expression. "That's my Krista! After this mission, marry me!" she said with a grin, while Krista looked at her in confusion.

"Psh… true…" Connie admitted, though he didn't like it one bit. "She's clowning around even more than usual…" He then looked at Armin. "Anyway, we can't just leave him here…" Connie then knelt down to offer the poor boy a hand. "Can you stand up, Armin?"

As soon as he saw Connie's hand right in front of him, Armin gasped and quickly stood up on his own, turning away from all of them immediately. "I'm sorry I caused problems! I'll meet up with the rear guard!" He yelled before flying away, leaving Connie and the others.

"Armin!" Connie called out for him, but the blonde teen didn't even look back.

One of squadmates grabbed his shoulder. "Let's go, Connie. Orders are to move forward." Although reluctant, Connie eventually sighed and gave up, flying off the rooftop with the others so they can advance to the vanguard.

As Armin flew away, his mind was going nuts. He didn't know if he should be feeling fear that he was leaving his fellow soldiers to themselves, relieved that he was going to be safe from the titans, or grief because he would be the reason why they would all fail.

_"This is it for me… there's no way I can hold out… in this hell."_ He thought, before shaking his head. _"No, it's wrong to say that… it hasn't become hell here… I just misunderstood. This world… has always been hell…"_ His mind went back to how he was _almost_ devoured by a titan earlier, if it weren't Eren swooping in to save him. _"The strong eat the weak. It's so easy to understand, that it's almost obliging…"_

* * *

Connie and his squad were flying through the streets on the way to the vanguard, and they didn't know whether to feel lucky or not that they weren't encountering any more titans so far. They had already lost one of their comrades after dealing with a pesky abnormal earlier, therefore the feeling of fear over the titans was in everyone.

"You seeing any titans yet, Connie?" Ymir asked. She wasn't able to scout the area ahead since she was situated at the back of their formation. Of course, Krista was just beside her so she can keep the cute girl safe.

"No, nothing yet. Now shut your mouth or you and I are going to change positions." Connie responded, a serious note and expression taking over his entire being. He wasn't saying anything, but Ymir has been annoying him ever since they were put in the same squad, and the girl always had the last laugh against him. She annoyed him in more ways than one, and it included how she talked down on Armin earlier.

"Alright, alright, jeez… you need to learn how to lighten, airhead…" she said in a joking manner, but Connie didn't take it as one. If they weren't under attack by the titans right now, he'd approach and giver her a piece of his mind, screw what anyone else says.

"More importantly, there are no titans in sight so far for this street…" one of their squadmates said, assessing the situation. He was traversing beside Connie, allowing him to have a good view of what's to come. "You think the vanguard have sealed the hole already?"

"Are you dumb?! There's been no signal flare yet!" Another one said, shouting at his fellow cadet. "If they really sealed that hole already, everyone would fire signal flares to relay it to everyone else."

"Then that means—?"

"What the heck is that?!" Connie shouted, getting the attention of all his squadmates as they turned to the same direction where he was looking. Up at the sky.

Something… in the distance, maybe… about the size of a human… was flying against their direction and the worst part was, it was directly headed for them indeed. Thinking it was another soldier of the sort, they could only look on in confusion when they saw no face on its head, because only its armor was present. It wasn't even wearing any ODM gear and had literal wings on its back, with a giant sword in its grasp.

"Okay… just what in the hell is that? Is it one of the titans?!"

"I'm starting to think you really _are_ dumb! Since when did those titans start to have wings and a sword on their hand?!"

"This isn't the time to fight amongst ourselves! Whatever that thing is, it's coming for us! That sword is pretty big so it's all or nothing. Be prepared to scatter when I say so!" Ymir said, getting everyone's attention as she spoke.

"Why wait for a signal?! We can just scatter right now!" Connie said in fear, the armor flying directly towards them, and the worst case scenario would be if it aimed for _him_.

"Because it can change direction if we do that! Stop acting like an idiot for once and listen to what I say!" Ymir yelled at him, while also groaning quite loudly.

"It's already getting close to us fast and you think you can —?!" Before they even knew it, the armor had passed by them. With a gasp, they turned to the side but the winged being wasn't there. Connie was already sighing in relief that it missed and they were safe… but not _all_ of them.

"It got Daniel!" Krista cried out, as everyone else looked behind them. Their fellow cadet whose name was Daniel was impaled on the armor's lance, killed in an instant when they noticed that his face didn't show any sign of emotion anymore and they couldn't help but look on in shock. Before anything else could happen, the armor threw off Daniel's lifeless body and flew back towards the squad.

"Shit! He's on to us! Keep moving!" Connie shouted in fear, as they did their best to outmaneuver the armor. Little did they know that the armor itself had its own thrusters behind it, which allowed it to catch up to their speed easily despite their gears. They kept their eyes glued to the armor behind them, that they didn't even notice that another one was coming in their direction once again. Only Ymir managed to see it, but it was too late for her to warn everyone.

"Everyone, watch out! There's another one in front of us!" she shouted, causing all of them to turn back towards the front, where they came face-to-face with a second Angelo.

"Connie!" Krista cried out when Connie's face immediately met a shield bash from the Angelo, messing up his flight and knocking him to the ground. Ymir scoffed and lifted up her swords to try and fight the armor, but got kicked away and she fell to the ground as well, enough draw back her wires from the nearest building. Krista gasped as the armor's metal hand wrapped around her neck, beginning to struggle for air.

"Let go of her!" Their other squadmate yelled, slashing his sword at the armor only for it to block with its massive lance. He was surprised for a few moments that he didn't even have time to notice that he was already disarmed of his sword as the lance plunged through his chest, killing him immediately.

Krista's eyes widened as she tried to kick the armor repeatedly with her feet, feeling the life slowly fade from her. She had enough time to see that the armor had no face, yet it was breathing. She didn't have enough though, to continue seeing if there was anything else. She was… slowly… losing… unconsciousness.

***BANG! BANG! BANG!***

Three bullets were enough for Eren to get the armor's attention as it slightly let go of Krista's neck. "You have something that doesn't belong to you, bastard." He narrowed his eyes and teleported to the air where he immediately used his demonic arm to steal the armor's lance before impaling it with its own weapon, which caused it to finally let go of Krista as she fell through the air. "Take this!" Eren yelled, driving the lance deeper as he sent the Angelo crashing back to the ground with the strength of his arm. He saw the other Bianco Angelo approaching him, so he threw Rebelllion at it to stop it, incapacitating the armor and holding it in its place.

Looking down, he quickly noticed Krista about to hit the ground, so he used his **Air Trick** to teleport back down where he caught her perfectly in his arms. Just in time too, since she began to slowly open her eyes once again.

As soon as she noticed the white hair on his head, Krista already had an idea of who was carrying her. "E-Eren…?" she asked weakly, just as she was placed to sit down on the ground where she tried to sit up.

"Hey," Eren waved with his left arm while smiling.

"I… I thought you were with the rear guard…?" she asked, coughing violently to regain air since the armor's grip on her neck was a little too tight, it could've killed her honestly because of her small build too.

"Well, it's boring to stay and watch people move out of this town slowly… I wanted to get out here and have some action for myself." Eren answered, rubbing the back of his head. He made sure to keep his right arm hidden behind him for now, just to save her from getting any nightmares from seeing it.

She smiled for a few seconds before remembering what transpired just a while ago. There were two armors that resembled humans… flying through the air… had massive swords and… killed two of her comrades. She turned her head, where she saw one armor lying down on the ground defeated, impaled with its own lance. "Eren, do you know what are _they_?" she asked, looking up at the white-haired teen.

"You mean those armors just now?" He asked her and she nodded. "I honestly have no idea, but I swear I'll get to the bottom of it. They may be a whole new kind of demons that just showed up…"

"Demons…?" Krista asked in confusion.

"Oh right, you don't know yet." Eren almost wanted to punch himself for letting that slip. Great, now Krista heard it and most likely, she'll want answers from him. Well, Armin now knew about this anyway… but better be quick. "Alright, I'll explain it quick and get to the important stuff because we're still under attack from the titans. I'll go into detail as much as you want later, but right now, we have to stay focused on our mission." He told her in a serious tone.

Krista found herself slowly nodding.

"Then, listen up. I'm going to explain my—" Then Eren's eyes went wide, stopping his words. Krista already cried out his name, just as he looked down. His own Rebellion was cleanly protruding through his chest, as he spat out a handful of blood. Eren gritted his teeth and slowly turned around, where he saw the armor whom he had thrown his sword to from earlier. "Krista…!" He struggled to speak, using his arm to gesture for her to leave. "Get out of here…!"

The armor lifted up the sword so that it impaled through Eren until it reached its base, before throwing him towards the wall of one of the buildings. With Eren out of the way, the Angelo turned back to Krista, who was scared for dear life. She didn't even have enough time to take notice of that weird-looking arm on Eren because he was thrown away.

Finally getting back up, Connie immediately noticed that Krista was in danger. Ignoring the pain brought by his crash landing, he quickly ran towards Krista to save her. Ducking under the armor's lance, it didn't even have enough time to react as Connie flew away using his gear with Krista in his arms.

As they flew away from danger, Krista kept her gaze back at the street where they were just earlier. "Connie, we have to go back! Eren and Ymir… they need our help! We can't let them to their deaths!" she yelled out, tears flowing out of her eyes.

"I saw Ymir, and she's… fine…! She'll follow us when she gets back up…!" Connie answered despite his wounds. "I saw Eren too, but… he's dead…" he gritted his teeth in rage. Damn, if he had just woken up sooner, he could've saved Eren as well.

"No…" Krista mumbled in grief, feeling horrible over the fact that Eren sacrificed his life to protect her. The same Eren who was also the top of their class, who swore that he would one day go outside of the walls. The same Eren who told her to think of herself instead of others almost all the time.

"Damn those bastards! We can't fight against them and the only thing we can do is run away!" Connie gritted his teeth again, thinking back to the Angelos they had ran into earlier. "Come on, we'll regroup with Jean and the others… hopefully their squad is still doing fine…"

Krista didn't answer, feeling that she should have just been killed by that armor earlier. At least that way, Eren wouldn't have sacrificed himself… oh, how she felt that she was at fault right now…

Back at the street, Ymir finally got up from her downed state earlier. _"Gotta follow Connie's direction… Krista is with him and… that little bastard is a pain in the ass…"_ she said to herself, standing up and glaring at the armor before who had its wings spread out. _"Shit, he's gonna fly after them…! I need to hurry and protect Krista…!" _she said, flying away on her gear without getting noticed. However, she was able to take notice of how Eren's right arm seemed to be glowing from afar, but she shrugged it off, feeling as if it was nothing important. She did feel bad for Eren having to die, but this wasn't the right time to feel that way.

* * *

The Angelo had smoke around him, about to take off and chase after Connie and Krista, only for it to explode completely after a single gunshot.

When the smoke dissipated, out came Eren holding Ivory while in a completely different state. His whole body was emitting a blue aura, with his eyes glowing red as the pistol disappeared from his hand. The Rebellion was still stabbed through his chest, but he took care of that by pulling it out of him completely, and he didn't even flinch! All of his wounds were already gone as he held Rebellion in his left hand, when the Yamato suddenly appeared before he grasped it with his right one. His **Devil Bringer** glowed brightly in resonance with the katana, and Eren could feel a surge of power within him.

**"Not… enough… I need power… more power…!"** he said, his voice being completely different from his normal one. He sounded more… _demonic_ and somewhat akin to a real monster. **"I need power to protect them all! I need power to destroy my enemies!"** He roared out, as a giant spectral demon appeared from behind him that wielded a projection of Yamato. It was his **Devil Trigger**.

Eren turned his head to the side, where he saw a titan about to reach down to get him, only for him to teleport directly to the titan's face, where he held Rebellion and Yamato tightly in his grasp.

**"I swear, I'll slay all of you! Titan or demon, I won't let you live any longer!"** Eren shouted, charging forward against the monster with this new power he had awakened.

* * *

_**Phew! And that finally ends this chapter! The truth is out and Armin now knows about his demonic powers, but is missing some details. Will he eventually learn the full story? Of course he will, but that'll have to wait. Bianco Angelos have appeared out of nowhere, but where did they come from exactly? To those who have played DMC4, you know the origin of these armored dudes, but keep the answer to yourselves so you don't spoil anyone.**_

_**And lookie here, Eren has his Devil Trigger awakened! And how did that happen? He got stabbed by his own sword! XD. It ain't Devil May Cry if someone isn't stabbed by the Rebellion, lol. Now that his Devil Trigger is awakened, what awaits the battle of Trost?! Will things be any different? Will it be easier for them?! Tune in next chapter!**_

_**-Lance**_


	11. Pull my Devil Trigger!

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

***SLASH!***

Mikasa took a deep breath as she landed on the ground, killing another titan along the way. She had ended up as the last living member of her squad, with everybody else becoming nothing more than titan food. Since she was left all alone, she was on her way to regroup at the HQ with other soldiers who ended up being the sole survivors.

Right now, she just saved a mother and her daughter from a fast-moving abnormal as she turned around to face them.

"Thank you, miss!" The little girl look up at her in amazement.

"Me and my daughter are safe thanks to you." The mother said, with some tears falling from her eyes. "I'm very grateful."

Mikasa saluted them before turning her back, about to take off once again. "Both of you should hurry and follow the other civilians evacuating this town while there are no titans. I will try to look out for more and handle them to give you time." she told them and the mother nodded, grabbing her daughter's hand before they ran off.

However, the little girl couldn't take her eyes off her hero who just saved her. She… suddenly had the desire to be like her someday… _a hero_.

Mikasa took off and immediately, her eyes darted towards her own gear. _"I said that, but… I'm not sure if I even have enough gas to kill even a few titans… I better get to HQ fast and replenish my supply."_ she thought, traversing through the roof before she heard the sound of a bell, causing her to quickly land and listen carefully to its sound. _"That's… That's the bell signalling for a full evacuation…! Everybody is going to pull out… however…"_ she looked at her own gear once more. _"It'd be suicide if I follow through and leave… if I'm not sure that I have enough gas."_ While narrowing her eyes, Mikasa continued her journey to the HQ in order to replenish her supply.

* * *

Inside the military HQ however, things weren't in a good light for the cadets who were there. Some of them were grouped together, using tables that were turned over to hide themselves from the titans that swarmed the HQ from outside.

"That's it…"

"We're done for…"

"Help… us…"

All signs of hope were truly gone for those who were stuck inside, that one of the male cadets there smiled when he had gotten a pistol from the armory, only to use it to shoot himself by placing the gun in his mouth and firing.

* * *

When she landed on the rooftop of a building that was slightly taller than the other normal ones, Mikasa was able to get a clear view of the HQ all the way from there. But what got her attention first was a group of cadets like her all gathered on two rooftops, sitting around as if they were waiting for their own deaths.

_"What's going on? They must have heard the bell too just now…" _she thought in confusion. _"Why aren't they heading for the wall…?!"_ She didn't know why the cadets weren't making a move or anything, until she saw the titans that swarmed around the HQ. _"I see… they're planning to do the same as what I have in mind…!" _Firing her gear, she headed for the rooftop where her comrades were all situated so she could regroup with them.

Things were not going well for the cadets indeed. None of them could do anything but stand and watch the titans that surrounded the HQ, which most likely trapped everyone inside. "Damn this! What do we do?!" Connie complained, as he couldn't bear to stand around and do nothing. He didn't want the same incident from earlier to happen again.

"There isn't anything _to _do…" Jean said with a pained smile. "The order to evacuate this town finally came… but we're unable to climb the wall since we're out of gas… I guess we're all dead… thanks to those cowards!" He looked at the HQ. "I can understand their feelings, though… they lost the will to fight… but they shouldn't have abandoned their supply mission and holed up in HQ! The titans are gathering, so we can't get over there to replenish our gas!"

"That settles it, then!" exclaimed Connie. "The only thing we can do is risk it all to kill the swarming titans over there! The results will be the same if we just sit around! The titans will be all over us here, too! Especially if one of those armored bastards show up again…" he trailed off while gritting his teeth and Jean raised an eyebrow upon hearing what he said, before he simply thought that Connie was talking about the Armored Titan. "And if we keep trying to pointlessly escape, it'll just waste the last little bit of gas that we have! Once our mobility is totally gone, only _then _will it be all over!"

"You're using your head for once, Connie…" Jean said, before looking at everyone else around them. "But do you really think we can take them on with this many troops? Most of the vanguard has been wiped out… you're not in good condition, Armin's been sulking ever since he regrouped with us, and Krista's moping around for who-knows-why. Who among us in the Training Corps can take command of a desperate operation like that?"

Connie wanted to say "Eren" since he knew that he wasn't truly helping with the elite Garrison troops, but he knew that that wouldn't make a difference… especially with what happened earlier… yeah, what a waste…

"Well… I guess that doesn't matter, since even with a leader, we wouldn't be able to do anything against the titans… I bet there are 3 to 4-meter titans in the supply room too. Obviously, it'd be impossible to even move around in those conditions."

Connie couldn't say anything as a response, silenced by those words as he could only think of that scenario in his mind. "No way… you really think…?" he finally muttered out, only for Jean to cut him of with a deep sigh.

"It was a boring life." He mumbled as he looked down while grabbing his head. "I guess if it's really gonna end like this… I might as well say…"

Sasha immediately cut their depressed mood by walking up to them with a huge smile. "Let's do it, everyone! Come on, on your feet!" Despite her nature, she was still feeling fear deep down inside, but she didn't want to show it. "If everybody's working together, I'm sure we'll make it! I'll take vanguard!"

"E-Everyone…"

Her words alone weren't able to get through her fellow cadets. They felt as if all hope was truly lost for them, and that they'll get eaten by the titans one way or another. Sasha grew a little worried before turning to Armin, who was looking out of it as he plainly stared into the distance with a blank look.

"Armin…" she called out to him softly. "Help me fire everyone up…"

Luckily the blonde boy did, in fact, heard her but all he could do was look up at Sasha and shake his head slowly. Despite him looking completely out of it, he was listening to everything Jean said and further killed any signs of hope for Armin. "I'm sorry…" he muttered sadly. "I'm too weak to even be considered helpful… maybe it's best for me to just sit here and wait for the titans to eat me…" Sasha grew worried and began comforting the poor teen, all while Reiner was keeping an eye on them both from a distance.

"Reiner… what should we do?" Annie asked as she stood beside Reiner, Bertholdt, and Marco.

"We wait… at least until they gather 'round," The big man responded with a little smile.

"There's no way… no matter how you look at it…" Marco said with widened eyes. "We can't get out of town and we'll be exterminated…"

The sound of someone landing on the rooftop made them all turn their heads to see who it was. "Annie!" Mikasa called out, walking up to the blonde girl who looked confused.

"Mikasa? Why are you here? You haven't scaled the wall yet?" Annie asked, only for the raven-haired girl to glance once again at her gear before shaking her head sadly.

"I… I'm not sure if I have enough gas left for that… I came to head back to the HQ and replenish my supply but… that seems too far off now…" Mikasa said, taking note of how the military HQ had titans all over it while Annie only shrugged, not knowing how to feel about that. It was then that she suddenly remembered something. Something important. She couldn't find _him_ anywhere, so maybe he was able to evacuate with the civilians but just to be sure… since… she didn't want to assume the worst happened.

"By any chance, have… have you seen Eren around?" she asked, and Annie raised an eyebrow.

"Yeager? Why would he be here? Wasn't he with the rear-guard, protecting the civilians while they evacuate?"

"He… He wasn't…" Mikasa explained, shaking her head again. "One of the soldiers did tell him that he was assigned to the rear guard, but… he ran off since he wanted to fight the titans himself…" She remembered how he gave her a small hug before leaving, and she couldn't get her mind off it afterwards… thinking that it was probably the first and last time that it would happen. "So… have you seen him somewhere?" she had a slightly hopeful tone in her voice.

"No, we haven't seen him anywhere…" It was Reiner who answered her question, while furrowing his eyebrows slightly. "But speaking of Eren, Armin is there…" He pointed to the blonde teen sitting while hugging his knees. "Maybe he can answer your question."

"O…Okay… Thank you." She turned towards Armin for a moment before looking back at Reiner and Annie, bowing her head as a sign of gratitude.

While Mikasa was conversing with Reiner about Eren, they were unaware that Armin's hopeless eyes suddenly lit up at the mention of his white-haired friend. Upon hearing his name, nearly all thoughts of his low self-esteem and being useless in the face of danger left his mind, as he went back to what he found out earlier when… Eren… revealed… what he really was. Sure, he may not be a human but… his mind went back to how he was saved… saved by a _demon_ like him. And with ease! When he asked Eren for an answer on why he did that, his friend gave him an answer that only the 'Eren' that Armin knew would be able to give.

As much as it was crazy… Eren might just be their only hope to kill those titans at the HQ. But first of all, where was he?

"I GOT IT!" He screamed out loud, getting the attention of everyone there, and Mikasa stopped in her tracks. Armin's outburst surprised her all of a sudden and not only her, Jean was also caught off guard with him. Probably because Armin has been silent ever since he joined them here.

"What exactly did you find out, Armin? I sure hope it has something to do with getting into the HQ without getting mauled by multiple titans…" Jean asked with his face resting on his hand, since he didn't want to hear anything right now that didn't have anything to do with solving their titan problem.

"It is!" Armin cried out again, causing Jean to slightly widen his eyes as he straightened his posture, now paying full attention to the blonde boy and listen to what he had in mind. The other cadets also paid close attention, while Mikasa took a few steps closer to him. "Eren can do it!" he told all of them as if it was a known fact.

"Eren…?" Jean blinked for a few seconds before sending a look towards Armin that meant he didn't really buy that plan of his. He could almost treat it like it was a bad joke. "No offense, but… while we know he's the best of us, I admit… I don't think even Eren can handle that many titans…" he pointed to the number of titans surrounding the HQ, possibly about six to eight. "And besides, hasn't he already left this place? He's fighting with the rear guard, right?"

"No, you don't understand." Armin told him, quickly shaking his head. "Eren… I think he can really do it! I… I saw him being able to kill multiple titans all at once earlier!" That was a lie… somehow. He thought back to how he saw Eren slaying multiple scarecrows, as he called them, before killing a titan with ease. Plus, there was also that strange ability of his that allows him to teleport to where he wanted, which he first showed after Thomas died. Of course, he couldn't just say that Eren was a demon all along, so… he had to change some of it so that everyone can understand what he wanted to point out. "A-Anyway, I know he's not with the rear guard…! He was —!"

Mikasa cut him off by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Does this mean you've seen him, Armin?" she asked with hope in her eyes, only to lose it when the blonde teen looked down. She didn't need more than that to know that Armin had no idea where _he_ was.

"But… he must be here somewhere!" Armin quickly said just to prevent that one ray of hope from dying. "He hasn't scaled the wall yet, we still have hope!" His words seemed to have gotten through with some of his fellow cadets as they began looking at one another and nodded. There may be some hope left for them indeed, until somebody ultimately killed that feeling with his words.

"Armin, forget it!" Getting everyone's attention, Connie then looked down on the ground and gritted his teeth. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but his comrades will just be hoping for a lost cause if he doesn't say anything. "Eren… Eren can't help us in this… he's… gone…" he muttered with a grim look on his face.

Silence befell the place, and everyone's eyes became wide. All of the cadets there heard him clearly, but now they were even debating whether or not they heard him right. Eren was… gone? Did he mean…? No, no, maybe it was a misunderstanding… after all, he was the best in their class right? Nobody couldn't beat him in any sparring session before and… he even let himself lose against Annie, who was the second best fighter after him. And… in maneuvering too… there was just no way…

"C-Connie… what do you mean by that…?" Armin said with widened eyes, and fear was already evident in his voice. He had a good idea of what Connie meant when he said those words, but… he didn't want to assume or even assume for the worst.

"Eren… he's… he's dead…" Connie kept his head down for a few moments before looking at all of them with an equally devastated expression.

"Dead…?!" Even Jean couldn't believe what he was hearing right now. Were his ears even functioning properly? "Wha… What the hell are talking about, Connie…?! This isn't the time for you to skip to conclusions again! Use your brain and think for a moment! How can Eren get himself killed? We all know he's a reckless bastard, but he ain't idiotic enough to sign his own death warrant…!"

Connie narrowed his eyes at Jean. "I'm not kidding around, and why would I? Even an idiot like _me_ knows that Eren is stronger than all of us… but I can't do anything about it. Neither of us can. He's gone… and… we'll have to accept that fact." He spoke in a serious tone, shutting up Jean in his place.

"D…Did… Did he get… eaten by a titan…?" If Sasha was being enthusiastic and cheerful earlier, that was long gone the moment she heard Connie's first message regarding Eren. She felt as if a part of her was crushed into pieces, but she didn't show it. Sasha simply clutched her chest with her right hand to suppress that pain she was feeling inside… but it did nothing to lessen it.

"No… No, it wasn't like that…" Connie frowned, as he struggled what _exactly_ happened before he regrouped with the others here. "Damn it… why can't I remember it…?" he mumbled to himself, before a sudden detail popped into his mind. "Oh, if you want to know…" he gestured over to the short blonde girl standing near the edge of the roof with a tall brunette beside her. "You can ask Krista… all I remember is I got knocked out cold… then when I woke up, Eren was suddenly there and he wasn't moving… and I had to save her from getting killed by a bastard wearing an armor."

If this wasn't a situation wherein their lives could end at any second, some of them like Reiner, Annie, Jean, and even Mikasa would ask Connie to elaborate more on what he said about a "bastard wearing an armor", but their attention could only be focused on Eren now. It didn't help that Krista turned to them with her eyes full of grief and sadness while Ymir just rolled her eyes, in an attempt to hide how she somewhat felt bad for what happened.

"I…It's true… I'm sorry…!" Krista looked down as she sobbed, doing nothing to stop the tears that were streaming down her face. Wow, who would have thought that they would see the so-called 'goddess' of the 104th crying her eyes out? They normally see her smiling and lending a helping hand to everybody else, but never have they seen her like this. "Eren is… gone… b…because of me…! He… saved me when he didn't need to… I'm… I'm sorry, everyone…! I didn't want him to… to… come and risk his life…!"

Ymir sighed and pulled the sobbing Krista close to her chest, attempting to comfort the grieving girl while everybody else had the same look of shock. Of course, Connie was already grieving so he didn't count. If it was possible, they tried to look and listen to Krista; maybe, just maybe, there was a hint of a lie in her voice, but there wasn't. She was being truthful, the truth hit the other cadets like a storm.

While most of them were speechless and couldn't even make a simple response, their attention was quickly brought to Mikasa, who was shaking her head as she looked down in fear. She seemed to be in denial of what she heard, yet her mind was telling her otherwise.

"No…" she whispered to herself, her voice filled with fear. "This… This can't be… This can't be real… H…He can't be dead…!" She tried to internally deny what she heard, but she couldn't. In fact, she felt a piece of her heart shatter as soon as Krista admitted what happened. Tears were already forming in the corner of her eyes.

The person who was able to make her smile again…

The boy who gave her reasons to live after she lost her family…

That person… that boy… Eren… who was really important to her… especially in her heart… was gone.

That hug he gave her before all this… it was really… the last…

"Mikasa, calm down…!" Armin was the first to do something about the mumbling girl, and thankfully it got her attention. "I know it's sad for all of us, but if Eren's really gone, then we've got no choice but to accept it! We can't do anything about it now… except move on and honor his sacrifice…" He said, with tears in her eyes as well. Like Mikasa, at first he tried to internally deny what he heard from Krista, but not to her extent.

Mikasa looked at him for a few seconds before turning around and quickly running off in a rush, intending to find Eren and prove that he's not really dead.

"Mikasa! Don't…! You'll be noticed by the titans…! They'll come after you…!" Armin called out, before running after her. In all honesty, he was at the least expecting her to become like this after hearing what Krista told them earlier. Throughout the years, he knew that Mikasa was pretty fragile, that it could be considered a miracle that Eren and his mother were able to break through her depression after losing her parents. And he also wasn't dense to not know that she developed an attachment to Eren, although she didn't know how to show it due to her introverted personality. _"She doesn't know which street Eren is, exactly… I don't think she even plans on checking everywhere… as long as she sees Eren still in good shape…"_ he thought sadly.

"Hey! Come back here, you two!" One of the other cadets shouted out to them, as they all stared at Armin and Mikasa taking off with their gears. They didn't know what to do after that. They couldn't move, speak, or even process anything in their minds. Earlier, they had a plan to get to the HQ with Eren's help, but now that particular plan has gone up in smoke.

"Damn you, Eren… you made the girl cry and now she's hopelessly asking for you to come back…" Jean muttered, narrowing his eyes at his two fellow cadets traversing through the rooftops before he saw that some of the titans in the HQ have finally noticed them. "Now it's up to me to clean up this mess you made…"

Jean turned to the rest of them and raised his sword. "Hey! Were we taught to let our fellow soldiers fight alone?!" He shouted out to all of them. "All of you really _will_ make cowards of yourselves! If you can't fight, then you guys aren't soldiers at all! You're just pretending to _be_ one!" Jean said, his mind flashing back to the time when Eren informed him about what a real soldier was.

The top cadets of the 104th were the first to answer back to him, as they slowly picked up the courage needed to raise their swords and prepare their gear.

"Well, who'd have thought?" Reiner said with a smirk, as Annie and Bertholdt looked ahead at the HQ with serious expressions on their faces. Connie and Krista shook off their depressed moods and prepared to fight as well, with Ymir rolling her eyes but doing the same nonetheless.

In a surprising move, Sasha ran past all of them and prepared to fly off, but not before looking back one last time. "H-Hey coward8s! I'm going to fight!" she shouted to all of them with a look of determination, just like how Eren does it, before finally taking off. Like Mikasa, she had the sudden urge earlier to find Eren and prove that he was not dead, but she somehow knew that that wouldn't be what he wanted her to do if he was still alive. She grew up as a natural-born hunter back in her village after all, and a hunter always comes for his prey no matter what.

The rest of the top ten followed after her, leaving the rest of the training corps at the rooftop on their own. "Look at them go…" One of them said, as he raised his sword with a shaking hand. "Damn it… I'm game…"

"YEEAAAHHHH!" The rest of the cadets cried out in unison. With that, they all followed after the top ten as they flew off.

* * *

While they could still see Mikasa and Armin flying through the air, the other cadets followed them closely with Jean leading the way. "Hurry! We'll follow them both to get the attention of those few titans after them and head for the direction of HQ!" He said, while taking a quick glance at his fellow trainees behind him. "Don't engage the titans or you'll run out of gas! We have to get to HQ before we crash to the ground or something!"

Connie then moved ahead of Jean, staring at the direction of where Mikasa was headed. "I'm going after them and I'll tell them your plan!" he said in a serious tone.

"Are you mad?! That's exactly why we're luring those three titans away from them!" Jean looked at Connie as if he had lost his mind, if that hasn't happened already. "Mikasa's bound to calm down sooner or later, and Armin's smart enough to figure out on his own that they need to get to HQ!"

"I don't have time to listen to you! I'm going now!" Without another word, Connie changed direction and kept his eye on Mikasa and Armin, while doing his best to get closer to them.

"Tch… what an idiot." Jean scoffed lightly, before continuing on with his plan anyway.

Meanwhile, Armin was doing his best to calm Mikasa down, and he hasn't shown any sign of success so far. Every time he got closer to her, she would make some distance between them just so she could avoid getting stopped. With every attempt Armin made in trying to lessen her grief, she would shake her head violently to deny it and cry out in anguish. It hurt Armin to see her like this, but it was inevitable.

"Mikasa, please…!" He tried once again. "It's not gonna change anything! Just please, calm yourself down and maybe we can still make it out of here alive! Eren wouldn't want you to come find him as a corpse!"

She couldn't cover her ears since she was focused on finding Eren, or maybe whatever's left of him. Yeah, that last part from Armin almost made her want to stop and break down, but her heart told her otherwise. Shaking her head, she shook off the growing pain inside of her and continued to search the streets for Eren.

_"He's alive… I know he is…! He… He promised he will come back! He… He promised me! He has to… Please… Please come back, Eren! Y… You promised me…! Right…?" _she thought internally, becoming more desperate to find the white-haired teen as she used more of her gas to go faster.

Armin's eyes widened when Mikasa began to fly a lot faster. _"Oh no, she's burning up too much gas! Why won't she calm down? At this rate, she's going to…"_ Like what he predicted in his mind, Mikasa's gear started to get faulty just as she was about to fire her hook again, causing her to fall and land on the roof of a market stall.

_"I've… ran out of gas…"_ she said to herself, before realizing what this meant. She failed, that's what happened. She failed to find Eren, and… she failed to see him alive and well. Her tears flowed from her eyes as she rolled over to the ground, keeping her head low to hide her face from the world. _"Again… I lost someone important to me again… Eren… he's… really… no…!"_ She couldn't bear to even think of that horrible thought. _"Was it my fault…? I… I let him go here in the first place and…"_ she trailed off, her tears dripping to the ground just as she felt giant footsteps approaching.

Looking up, a ten-meter titan was on its way towards her, and Mikasa couldn't find it in herself to do anything about it. She didn't even notice that Armin was running through the rooftops to avoid getting seen by the titan as he headed towards her in panic. Mikasa then let her arms fall to her sides in defeat, while thinking of the white-haired teen despite her red, teary eyes.

The titan stopped a few meters from her as it bent down slowly to pick her up. She could only watch, powerless to do anything since she felt that there was no hope left for her now.

_"I… I never even… got… to tell him…"_ she thought, as the titan's hand reached for her. _"...that I —"_

***WHOPPAK!***

A massive spectral demonic arm then came out of nowhere and punched the titan straight in its jaw, sending it staggering back. Mikasa's eyes slowly widened. What the hell did she just see? Whatever it was… she found it… weird, but… it just saved her. She slowly turned around to see, only to have her eyes widen further.

**"From that day forth… my arm changed…"** Eren growled out, his voice sounding more like a real demon as he gripped Yamato tightly in his right hand. **"And a voice echoed, 'Power… give me more power! I need power!'"** He walked forward, passing by the wide-eyed Mikasa before stopping by the titan he had punched earlier as the spectral demon from behind him let out a roar while his eyes glowed red. **"And if I become a demon in their eyes, then so be it."** With speed similar to that of his father, he unsheathed Yamato and teleported to the back of the titan's neck, where he sliced through its nape effortlessly before it fell to the ground dead. **"I'll endure the exile…"** he placed the katana back in its scabbard, before turning his attention to an 15-meter titan. **"Anything to protect them!"** He walked slowly towards it, as his right arm glowed in resonance with the Yamato.

_"Is that…"_ Mikasa muttered to herself, watching the white-haired teen walking fearlessly towards the titan before him. _"...Eren…?"_

* * *

_**That's it for this chapter! Not much happened except for that ending, however, I did change a few things from canon. One is that Mikasa reacted immediately after finding out Eren was dead; before you complain, you have to know that I did that in order to emphasize how fragile she is when it comes to her emotions. I mean, in real life, who wouldn't react the same way as her when you find out one of your loved ones was dead?**_

_**Another thing is that it was Krista who told them about Eren's death, not Armin. I think it's obvious why. Anyway, next chapter, the Devil Trigger has indeed been pulled and Eren has been let loose! What could this mean for Jean and everyone else?! Will they finally know about Eren's secret? Tune in next chapter!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	12. Rampage

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

_"I'm… just… completely confused…"_ Mikasa thought as she watched Eren walk up against the approaching titan. _"There's no doubt that… that's Eren…" _She watched as the white-haired teen jumped up to avoid the titan's hand before teleporting to the back of its neck, using Yamato again to finish it off. _"But… what happened to him…?"_ Her tears stopped flowing altogether, just as Eren headed for the next titan in his way. She was too focused and confused with what was going on, that she didn't even notice Armin landing behind her.

"Mikasa!" he cried out, which still wasn't enough to get her attention so he simply wrapped his arms around her waist, taking her with him as they flew up to a nearby building. However, due to his lack in strength, their landing didn't go well when he hit his head on the roof as a result.

"Ungh…" Mikasa groaned in pain slightly, since that landing still affected her somewhat. As soon as she recovered with her mind getting back on track, Armin turned to her with a worried expression.

"Mikasa! You fell because you ran out of gas, right?! Are you injured?!" He asked, and she looked down for a few seconds before answering.

"...I'm fine… but…" she turned her look towards Eren in the distance once again, still utterly confused with what was really going on. Armin took notice of that and he immediately knew what she was feeling right now. He too, saw Eren with a more demonic appearance earlier and he could only think that it was his real power. Well, at least he was sure that they won't be targeted because of what transpired between him and Eren earlier.

They were interrupted all of a sudden when Connie landed on the rooftop where they were. "Hey, you two! We've gotta get a move on already! We should be heading back to headquarters and stock up!" He told them both before he noticed a 15-meter titan walking towards their location and it wasn't far from them as well. "This doesn't look good! We got a 15-meter titan that can notice us at any second! We need to move!" He said, urging for his two comrades to get up only for Armin to raise his hand before he pointed to the titan approaching them or more specifically, to the _person_ who was near that monster.

"Wait, Connie. Look at who's walking up against that titan for a second." Armin said, and Connie quickly did as he was told to do. He could only grin nervously when he saw a guy about to fight that titan, ignoring the spectral demon that was behind him.

"That guy's seriously gonna take on a titan that large? He's brave, but I don't think it's enough for him to take down that big of titan." He sighed and shook his head, since he was going to watch another one of his fellow cadets get killed.

Armin shook his head and continued to point in Eren's direction. "No, Connie. Look closely. It's… Eren."

That single sentence was enough for Connie to look again, this time a lot closer, to the point where the mop of white hair was visible to him. "E…Eren…?" he breathed out, before shaking his head in denial. Were his eyes deceiving him? "No… No, I know what I saw… That… That can't be him, I… I saw him die, dammit…!" he said, unable to believe what he was seeing. "I… I think I'm going out of my mind or something…"

"Connie… there's…" Armin looked down, also going through his own state of shock. Earlier he was convinced that Eren really died, but now he was alive and well, fighting against the titans. "There's only one person we know… who is the same age as us… that has… white hair…" At that, Connie stopped shaking his head and simply looked at Eren from afar in disbelief. "We both know… who that person is, Connie…"

Connie remained silent for a few seconds, before turning to Armin with a desperate look. "Then what the hell is going on? I know I saw him with a damn sword through his chest earlier! He can't be alive and well for no reason!" Armin frowned upon hearing that. The scarecrows that he saw earlier didn't have any swords and the titans certainly didn't have anything with them as well. But he shook it off and focused on the situation at hand.

"That's because…!" Armin tried to answer, only to hesitate at the last moment. Was he really going to reveal Eren's real nature to them? _Right now?_ "Uhm… it's… it's a really long story, but… I think I have an idea how Eren is still alive…" he said, making both Connie and Mikasa's eyes widen.

"Armin…!" Mikasa said, placing her hands on the blonde's shoulders. She looked really worried if her expression meant something. "D…Do you know what's… what's happening with Eren…? W…Why is he… l…looking like that…?" she asked in a tone of confusion mixed with worry.

"I… only have an idea and… I'm not even sure if I'm right about it…" Regardless of that answer, both Mikasa and Connie still waited for him to say something. Anything just to explain, or at least, give an idea why Eren suddenly looked like a monster of sorts. "But it's not the right time to discuss things like this! We're still in danger of being noticed by the titans at any second!" he said in a completely different tone, showing how he was still traumatized with what nearly happened to him earlier. "All I can say is…" He remembered how Eren answered his question, and it made Armin feel somewhat assured. "Eren is on our side! H-He's fighting the titans for us! Just look!" He pointed to the direction where Eren was and his two friends' gazes followed.

The 15-meter titan was approaching him, but the Devil Trigger Eren still looked unphased even with how it was towering over him. The monster was about to crouch down, but Eren kept still for a few moments before finally jumping up, drawing his arm back before unleashing a massive right hook that was strong enough to sever the titan's head off its body and send it flying away.

Unfortunately, the head was sent flying towards the direction of Armin, Mikasa, and Connie as they were shocked with how fast it was.

"Duck!" Connie warned, as they all moved out of the way before the titan head could get to them. As a result, it crashed into a nearby tower, before falling to the ground as it began to evaporate.

"He… Eren even knew its weak spot…!" Armin concluded, noticing how the titan was dead as Eren moved to focus on the next one. "He knows what he's doing, you two! He's fighting the titans for us! We have to take advantage of this situation and get out of here while we can!" He told them both, but Connie was the only one who nodded.

"Still…" Connie couldn't help but look at Eren, his right arm in particular, in both confusion and slight amazement. "What the hell is going on with Eren's arm…? He always kept it hidden under bandages… but if we had known it had the fuckin' power to punch a titan's head off completely from its body, it would've helped us a lot before…!" He exclaimed, overlooking the fact that Eren was completely different from a normal human.

"I think… he has his reasons…" Armin half-lied. It was obvious Eren hid his arm in order to conceal his demonic nature, but he wasn't going to touch that subject right now.

"But…" Mikasa's weak voice somehow caught both their attention. "Will… Eren be safe…? If… If we just leave him here… alone… he… he may get… eaten by…!" she couldn't even finish her sentence because she was already consumed by the dread brought by learning of Eren's 'death' earlier. Now that he was alive, much to their shock, will that be wasted so soon? Although she didn't know what exactly happened, she didn't want to feel that way again.

"Mikasa… Eren will be fine." Armin said in a reassuring tone, remembering how Eren saved his life earlier. "You just saw how he killed three titans without effort, right? I think… he can deal with this more than _we_ can." That left a bitter taste in him, as it made Armin feel like he was useless compared to Eren again but he kept his composure this time. "You can trust him, right…?"

It didn't take more than a few seconds for her to answer, and although she had her doubts, Mikasa only found herself nodding grimly. Regardless, Armin gave a nod of understanding before Connie spoke again.

"Alright, that's settled!" he said, before pointing to the direction of the military headquarters. "We gotta get to HQ now, because everyone's fighting there!" He was about to take off, had it not been for Armin's voice stopping him from doing so.

"Wait! Mikasa is out of gas!" he said, causing Connie to look back in shock while Mikasa had her hair shadowing over her eyes. She knew that her running out of gas was due to her emotions getting the better of her, and now she didn't know what to do.

"Hey… are you serious?!" Connie said, looking at Mikasa. "What are we gonna do if you're not there?! You're the best in our class after Eren and Reiner!"

"What needs to be done is obvious! I don't have much left myself, but…" Armin crouched down and began taking off his gear, much to the confusion of Mikasa and Connie. "Hurry up and trade with me!"

"Armin…?" she said in confusion. "W…What are you doing…?"

"It's gotta be this way! There's no point in me having it!" He said, looking up at Mikasa before going back to removing his gear. "But this time… use it wisely, to save everyone…"

_"I…" _Mikasa thought, looking down in sorrow. _"I forgot about my duty and… didn't consider my own life… And… I did that because… I let my personal feelings…dictate my actions, too… I…"_

Just then, Armin spoke up with a tone of relief in his voice. "All right! The maneuvering device still works! And I gave you all my blades!" He then held up a small broken piece of one of Mikasa's swords, which was enough to bring back the girl to reality. "Just… let me keep this one… The one thing I want to avoid is getting eaten alive…"

Before he knew it, Mikasa stood up and took the blade from him. "Huh?" She then threw it off the roof before Armin could even say anything. "What?! W-Why…?"

Mikasa grabbed his wrist and gestured for him to stand up. "Armin!"

"...?!" He looked greatly confused with Mikasa's actions that he couldn't say anything.

"I'm not leaving you here," was Mikasa's simple yet powerful response.

Armin slowly looked down, becoming momentarily speechless for a few seconds. "B…But you can't fly around while carrying someone… and when there are titans all over the place!"

"There's no way we're gonna leave you behind!" Connie said, grabbing Armin's arm and pulling him along as they began to run for it. "Let's go! I'll carry Armin! Mikasa, you provide us some cover!"

_"No, don't… at this rate…" _Armin thought, averting her gaze to the headquarters. _"I'm gonna get more of my friends killed…"_ He looked back towards Eren, who was still slaying titans left and right, before something struck his mind. He turned back to the HQ, before turning to Eren, then back to the HQ, then Eren, and he kept on repeating this until he broke out of Connie's grip. "Listen to me! I've got a plan!" he exclaimed.

That made Mikasa and Connie stop in their tracks. "A plan?" asked Connie.

Armin frowned for a few moments, taking into account just how mad his 'plan' was. "The two of you would carry it out so… you two decide whether to do it or not." With that, Connie and Mikasa looked at each other for a few seconds and nodded, before turning their attention back to Armin. The blonde boy sighed and turned around, pointing at Eren in the distance. "I think it's crazy, but…"

* * *

The rest of the 104th Training Corps weren't doing well, compared to Mikasa and Armin's situation. They couldn't even get any closer to the military HQ due to the titans surrounding the place, and there were also a few ones roaming the streets around it. Jean stood at a lone rooftop with a conflicted look on his face.

_"No way…" _he thought to himself, gritting his teeth. _"I can't even get close to headquarters… unless I'm prepared to sacrifice myself…"_

"WAAAAAHH!"

"-?!"

That sudden scream caught Jean's attention all of a sudden as he looked down into the street below. One of his comrades was unable to fly up to the top of the buildings, as his gear gave off its last heap of gas. _"Shit! He's out of gas!"_ Jean actually had the sudden urge to fly down there and help, but it was too late because the several titans have already circled around the guy.

"WAAAAAAHHH!" he screamed in terror as he was held up by two titans.

While Jean was left in his place, too frozen and helpless to do anything, two other cadets had flown in and looked at their comrade down below. "Tom! We're comin' to get ya, buddy!" One of them said, snapping Jean out of his trance just as they descended to the street below.

"Don't! It's too late!" Jean tried to warn them, but it was also too late. The three were grabbed by multiple titans and ultimately became another meal to the mindless monsters. Only screams of anguish and pain filled the air, while Jean could only watch in horror along with his fellow cadets who somehow remain alive until now. However, he then started to realize that this was exactly what they were waiting for, and what they needed right now. The titans were… too busy… eating…

With a mighty yell, Jean called out to his remaining comrades. "NOW!" He quickly took off, and although it was a few seconds before they understood, the other cadets followed him out of instinct. "Head straight for HQ while the titans are occupied over there! Now or never… either way… if we run out of gas, it's over!" They all sped towards the military HQ. "Everyone, charge!"

Their fastest route towards the HQ wasn't exactly safe, either. There were at least 3 different titans along the way, and the sound of the cadets zipping through the air didn't help concealing their presence either. They did their best to maneuver through the inescapable grasp of the titans; some were fortunate enough to get past them, while a few were not.

In Jean's case, he was almost through without any titan getting close to him, only for that to end when a 10-meter one reached out to grab his foot. Jean gasped and breathed erratically upon seeing that the titan got him, but he still remained composed enough to keep firing his gear to get away. Luckily, his right managed to slip out and he continued to fly towards the HQ fast out of desperation. Getting caught by a titan… that was something he didn't want to happen again.

"AAAHH!" He screamed out, nearing one of the windows of the HQ as he prepared to force his way in. With a strong kick, he crashed through the window and landed a bit awkwardly, rolling through the floor before his back slammed against one of the desks that were there. "Unff!" He groaned in pain, before noticing the other cadets crashing through the windows one by one, finally making it into the HQ.

_"How many of us made it…?"_ He asked himself, seeing Marco, Reiner, Sasha, Krista, and some of his other fellow soldiers safe from the titans' grasp, but he was quick to notice that this wasn't even almost half of their original number before taking off. _"Using the deaths of our comrades… how many died on my signal?"_ Jean was almost about to berate himself for being a lousy leader when he saw two cadets hiding underneath a desk beside him.

"Y-You two…" Jean slowly approached them. "You're the support squad… right?!"

While one of them looked like he was too traumatized to say anything, the other one beside him could barely even speak. "Yeah…"

"...Huh?" Before he knew it, he was suddenly yanked up by the shirt only to receive a punch to the face from the raging Jean.

"Jean! Stop it!" Marco grabbed his friend by his shoulders and pulled him away before this could escalate into something more.

"It's their fault! They left us in the lurch!" Jean screamed, letting out his anger and frustration at the two. "More people died than necessary because of you spineless bastards!"

"The titans invaded the supply point! There was nothing we could do!" cried the other cadet in fear, as he helped his friend relieve his jaw for that punch he just received.

"Doing _something_ about it is your job! You're soldiers, aren't you?!"

While Jean was berating the two for their cowardice, Reiner suddenly noticed something outside the window. "—?!" His eyes widened and he quickly turned to everyone else, while making a dive to get away from his position. "Get down!" he screamed, loud enough to get everyone's attention.

Unfortunately, they weren't quick enough to react and only their screams of anguish could be heard when a titan's head burst through a chunk of the wall, while they did their best to get away.

"What?!" Jean could only blurt out in fear, seeing more of _them_ outside. They were now within the field of vision of three titans outside with a hole in the building that was big enough to grab any of them in a glance. With titans in the supply room as well, it's possible to assume that there was no way out for them.

_"Crap… There are too many people gathered here…" _he thought to himself, while his fellow cadets around him kept panicking as they didn't want to be eaten.

"Where are Mikasa and Armin?!"

"We have to get out of here now!"

"Right!"

"Stop! We can't all get out at once!"

"Those two ran out of gas and got eaten by titans!"

Everyone else scattered away from that gaping hole, except for Jean who was frozen in place with fear. _"This is normal… This is reality…"_ He looked down, thinking back to when he bragged about joining the Military Police and living in the interior. _"Was I chasing a dream? A vision…? I should've known better… that this is reality… "_ He looked up, meeting the gaze of a titan. _"It's simple, really… when you think about it. There's just no way to beat these gigantic things…"_

***WHOK-KRAAAKKKKK!***

Out of nowhere, a massive grotesque-looking arm had punched the titan in the jaw, causing it to fall on the one beside it and both went crashing down on the ground. It was at this point that the arm suddenly disappeared, and all the cadets inside the HQ could see was Eren who looked like he was floating in the air with a demonic-looking projection behind him.

**"I NEED MORE POWER… POWER TO KILL YOU ALL!"** He screamed in a voice more demonic and monster-like that he any sign of his old self was gone. Afterward, he then fell and landed gracefully on the ground, quipping Yamato before turning his attention to the titan that was nearest to him.

Inside the HQ, the cadets couldn't be more shocked upon what they saw. Most of them were too speechless to even mutter a single word, while some kept on stuttering out of confusion and fear. Only a few were able to voice out their thoughts.

"Huh…?!" One female cadet said in shock.

"Who… Who the hell… was that?" Jean mumbled, realizing just now that their lives have been saved. He didn't know who that person was, but he was damn brave enough to face those titans outside. However, Jean was too overwhelmed with shock and also confusion to think about anything else other than that question.

***CRASH!***

"—?!" That simple window crash was enough to snap him, or rather everyone, out of their current state as Mikasa slowly stood up after landing on the floor while Connie panted in exhaustion after apparently carrying Armin all the way.

"Mikasa… Armin… Connie…?!"

"Phew! Damn, that was close… I'm all empty…" Connie exclaimed, tapping his canisters to check his gas levels. "We did it… we just made it…"

"Y-You're… alive!" Truthfully, Jean had already assumed they were dead when the titans had broken through even the walls of the HQ. But now… seeing them alive…

"We did, Armin!" Connie said, patting Armin on the back rather harshly. "Your strategy worked!"

"Ow! Ow!" Armin grimaced in pain, feeling his body was too weak to even withstand his comrade's action.

After voicing out his gratitude to the blonde boy, Connie stood up and quickly ran to the gaping hole before pointing down below as he faced everyone else. "Guys! The person you saw earlier was Eren! He isn't dead! He's been fighting the titans for us ever since I found Armin and Mikasa!"

The news of Eren being alive obviously hit them like a ton of bricks, especially for Krista since she was the one who witnessed it first-hand. But were they really in any place to feel that way? They didn't really know what happened.

Jean quickly shook off his shock and spoke up. "That was Eren…? Hold up, how can that be him? His arm doesn't look like a monster's and it doesn't grow! He even kept it under bandages, Connie!" His mind quickly went back to him watching those titans getting blown away with a massive red-looking arm, since that was the first thought to cross his mind.

"Well, I don't exactly know the details… I'm just glad that there's hope for us to finally get out of here…" he pointed towards the blonde teen near Mikasa. "But Armin said he knows something. Go ask him."

All eyes in the room immediately went towards the blonde boy, who nearly shrunk from their gazes. "Is that true, Armin? What do you know about this?" asked Jean.

"Y-Yes… I… I know why Eren's looking like that… he… told me himself…" The moment that Armin mentioned the white-haired teen's name, it was confirmed in their minds. That person earlier who punched away those titans outside was indeed Eren, but how exactly did things come to be that way? "But it's not the right time to talk about this yet!"

That caught everyone by surprise. "What…?" Jean muttered.

Armin slowly stood up, feeling more determined. "I can tell all of you why Eren seems different, and why his arm looks that way! But I can't right now! Not when we're still in danger of getting attacked and eaten by titans!" At the mention of 'titans', everyone instantly remembered that there were still some of them in the HQ, particularly in the supply room. "All I can say is… he's on our side! And he's fighting to protect us! I know because he protected Mikasa from getting eaten earlier! I'll tell you all everything after we leave this place!"

While everyone else was still caught by surprise from Armin's words, Mikasa took the opportunity to speak. "It's… true. He… saved me." she mumbled, remembering how she was about to die earlier if it weren't for Eren coming in to kill the titan who was about to eat her before she adopted a more serious look. "Right now, Eren is out there fighting the titans who are surrounding this building… while… while he's holding them off, we have to stock up on supplies now… before it's too late." she said, reminding everyone of the reason why they came here in the first place.

"This must be a dream…" Jean whispered. He was ready to give up earlier and accept his fate, but now here he was, apparently listening to what may be their last ray of hope.

"Personally… I think most of you aren't comfortable in leaving Eren outside, fighting the titans. You're probably thinking that he's going to die fighting them alone… that includes me…" Armin said, looking down on the floor with some of his fellow cadets doing the same, feeling guilty. However, that stopped when Armin looked up with a fierce expression. He thought back to when Eren fought the scarecrows, killing that titan who came _this_ close to eating him, and protecting Mikasa from getting killed. Those were enough to give the blonde teen enough reasons to place his trust in Eren once more, so this would be all over.

"...But we have no choice! Eren is out there, fighting for us so we have to move! He may be our best means of getting out of here, and we must not waste it!"

* * *

_**Too short for your taste? I apologize, but I've been following the pace of the manga in terms of chapters while also putting in bits of DMC with it. Anyway, next chapter will be the continuation of this one so you better stay tuned. Will the cadets finally get to the supply room? Will Eren give in? Will Armin get to explain 'his' interpretation of Eren's real nature? Oooh, I can't wait~**_

_**By the way, two other things. If you all noticed in the first chapter, I have only reached up to the second DMC game, in terms of the Devil May Cry storyline. That leaves the door open for possible DMC4 and 5 story arcs here in my fanfic, and yes, I do plan on making them. But at the moment, I'm having trouble in incorporating them into the story so if you guys have any suggestions for it, please PM me.**_

_**Second, yes, Eren will have Red Queen and Blue Rose as his weapons here. He is Nero, after all. Regarding the other Devil Arms like Cerberus, Agni and Rudra, and so on, I have no idea. I'm thinking no since he isn't supposed to be Dante, but I'm still having thoughts about it. Red Queen and Blue Rose are due to make their debut in one of AOT's future arcs.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	13. The Beating of A Heart Can Be Heard

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

_**Hahahaha, I just noticed that this could be end of the 3rd volume of this fanfic. Think about it, Volume 1 would be the first chapter up to the fourth. Volume 2 is the fifth to the eighth chapter and 3 would be the ninth up to this one. Nothing, just a random thought LMAO.**_

* * *

Outside of the HQ, Eren panted slightly as he stood on top of another titan's corpse, managing to finish off this one by slashing through space itself with Yamato to get to its nape and cut through it. This titan was about to get to him earlier, had it not been for the giant footsteps that he easily sensed.

Eren looked down at the katana he had in his hand, taking deep breaths. _**"It appears that… I am still not trained well enough to use this at the level of how my father did… this sword is draining my energy too much…"**_ He thought to himself, before Yamato disappeared as he looked up at the titans that continued to head straight for him. Compared to his mindless-like state earlier, he appeared to have finally gotten some degree of control over himself as time passed, at the cost of slowly getting closer to exhaustion.

He dodged an incoming 8-meter titan by jumping into the air, before quipping Rebellion. **"If I can't use Yamato…" **he said, using the weight of his sword to bring himself down in a massive slash that obliterated the titan's neck and killing it. **"...then I'll kill you my own way!"**

He turned towards the next one, while also taking a glance at the military HQ. Somehow, he wanted to run and check if his friends were okay after all this, but that would mean leading these giant bastards back there and his efforts to keep them away from the HQ would be wasted.

Dodging the titan hand that came to get him, he then used his **Devil Bringer **to kill the next one, teleporting behind it before crushing its nape with a single punch. He didn't even have time to take a breather after that, because there was already another titan ready to get him but he managed to use **Air Trick **and teleport to safety.

**"Damn it… they just keep on coming."** he cursed.

* * *

***DUNNN!***

***DUNNN!* **

The sounds and ground tremors from outside the HQ were so strong that they could be felt by the people who were inside. Most of the cadets were still fearing for their lives, while some were beginning to rest easy, since there was someone who was fighting the titans for them, although it's unknown if that would last.

They were all waiting inside a small room, with a small group being sent out to look for even the smallest bit of supplies they can use. After all, they couldn't possibly be able to defeat the titans with empty gears.

"It'll be okay." Connie said in an attempt to lessen the fear that some of them were feeling. "Eren's stronger than you guys think… I saw him fight against multiple titans earlier, and… none of them could even inflict a scratch on him. They couldn't even grab him since they're so slow." Upon hearing his words, some of his comrades couldn't help but be intrigued and learn more, while simultaneously feeling somewhat calmer despite their situation. "As long as it's throwing down with the other ones… this building should be safe."

"Err, how much do you three know about Eren?" asked Reiner.

"I told you before, Armin is the only one who knows. You can't count on me to give a good explanation." Connie said, shrugging his shoulders. "And shouldn't we talk about that _after_ we're out of harm's way?"

"Y-You've got a point… safety first…"

All of a sudden, the door to the room sprang open as Jean and his group came in holding a few crates filled with various equipment.

"Found 'em! Military Police Brigade supplies, although covered in dust… let's get to work!" he said.

Upon hearing his words, the other cadets followed through with what they were told before this. Most of them each claimed a rifle and began to loading everything with a few rounds. However, some of them, who were part of the top ten in particular, simply gripped their swords tight to prepare.

"Will buckshot really even do anything…?" Jean asked in confusion, picking up one of the extra rifles before looking at it closely. "I mean, using guns… against titans?"

Most of the eyes in the room fell upon Armin, considering he was the one who came up with the idea of using firearms in his 'plan'. The blonde boy looked down, before sighing deeply. "I think it's a lot better than having nothing… and even with this degree of firepower, it isn't impossible to incapacitate the seven 3-4 meter class titans that are occupying the supply room, and all at the same time."

"Then lay it on us. What's your plan?" Reiner asked as everyone else listened closely to Armin.

"First… we use the lift to lower most of us from the center of the ceiling. If those seven titans are 'normals', a large number of people should be enough to draw them to the center of the room. Next… the people in the lift will fire at the seven titans' faces simultaneously, thus robbing them of their vision. And then…" he looked towards seven particular people in front of him. "The next instant will decide everything. Seven people hiding near the ceiling will swoop down in time with the firing and slash the titans' vital spot. In other words… everything rides on this one attack. All of our lives are at stake."

Mikasa, Reiner, Bertholdt, Connie, Sasha, Jean, and Annie all donned hardened looks.

"The point is for seven people to kill seven titans in one stroke and all at once." Armin continued to explain, before looking down. "The seven people with the most athletic ability probably have the best chance of striking home, so they'll do the job… but, um… I'm sorry they'll have to bear the burden of everyone's lives on their shoulders."

"No problem," Reiner smirked.

"The risks are the same, no matter who does it. If one fails, everyone dies…" said Annie.

Armin scratched the top of his head, looking conflicted. "But… is my plan really our best option…?"

"We've gotta go with it. There isn't time to think of anything else…" Marco added. "Besides, we're all drained of any other possible ideas. So we just need to throw ourselves into this one, heart and soul!"

"Don't be so worried, Armin. I think everything will work out fine in the end." Krista smiled, causing everyone to look at her in confusion. Wasn't she depressed while mourning for Eren earlier? How could she be smiling right now?

"That's my Krista! Marry me when this is over!" Ymir said, pulling the blonde girl for a side-hug as the latter looked at her in confusion.

While Armin had his attention on the two, still looking conflicted, Mikasa put her hand on his shoulder and making him face her. "It'll… It'll be okay… have some confidence in yourself, Armin. Y… You have the ability to… to lead people where they need to go… that saved my life before, and… not to mention Eren's…" she told him in a reassuring tone, but Armin only looked back towards Mikasa in confusion.

"I-It has…? When?" he stuttered.

Just then, one cadet who was currently waiting inside the lift called out to all of them. "The lift is ready! The guns are all loaded as well!" He announced, causing everyone to pick up their rifles and head inside the lift, getting into position to execute the plan.

"You're just not aware of it… but… I'll tell you about it later… Just like how you're going to explain to us… about Eren… okay?" Mikasa told him, standing up and gripping her swords before going with the other six who were assigned to kill the titans in the supply room below them.

"Okay." Armin agreed, picking up his gun before joining the other cadets in the lift.

As they walked down the stairs to the supply room, everything was quiet between all of them, when Connie suddenly spoke up. "But… will we even be able to kill the titans without our vertical maneuvering gear?"

"Sure we can do it! The enemy's only in the 3-4 meter class. That makes their weak spot an easy target for us." Reiner told him.

Jean nodded in agreement. "Yeah… doesn't make a difference how big they are. It's always the back of the neck, below the head."

"Length: 1 meter, width: 10 centimeters!" Sasha exclaimed, remembering one of the most important lessons taught to them during their military training days.

"Or you can stick it up their asses! That's their only other vital spot!" Reiner added, causing Connie to look at him in shock.

"I didn't know that! So there are actually two ways?!"

"I… don't remember anything about that in training…" Sasha said, thinking deeply about what Reiner said if it was true.

"Reiner… those may very well be your last words." Jean groaned, gritting his teeth afterwards.

* * *

In the supply room, seven titans were wandering about. All of them looked like they were on the hunt for more humans to feast on, that one of them was biting one of the metal posts as if it was a substitute for a person. Their attention was quickly drawn to the center of the room, however, when the sound of the lift operating rang through the whole place.

The cadets of the 104th were scared, frozen, and nervous all at the same time. They were descending into a room full of titans, with nothing but guns to arm themselves. It's not like their bullets will keep them safe forever too, so they would need to put their faith into this plan.

_"It's okay… still the same number of them…" _Armin thought, when he saw the titans coming into their view. _"We're going through with this!"_ As soon as he raised his rifle, the other cadets followed suite, ready to take aim and fire.

At the sight of humans, the titans began to head to the center of the room, all seven of them beginning to gather 'round. Most of the cadets were already tempted to pull the trigger out of fear, but Armin quickly took action.

"Calm down! Let them come closer!" He shouted, as the titans began closing in. His arm was resting on the trigger, but he didn't do anything yet. "Not yet! Wait for it!" Although they were slow, the titans' horrifying faces made it look like they were already upon them. "...Ready…" Finally, when they were only about a meter apart from the lift, Armin gritted his teeth and gave the command.

"FIRE!" he shouted, and pulled the trigger along with everyone else. Their aims were on point, successfully incapacitating the monsters and taking away their eyesight, and Armin waited for the seven people to do their part. _"We have to avoid fighting them… if we don't want to let even one person die…"_ Armin thought, just as the seven people from the ceiling jumped down and had their respective targets in their sights.

_"...This one strike has to finish it!"_ All of them thought at the same time.

***SLASH!***

_"Got it…!"_ Mikasa thought as she landed on the ground gracefully, cutting through the nape of the titan behind her just as Armin told her to. _"What about everyone else…?!"_ she turned her gaze towards the other six who were all supposed to take down a titan like her.

Jean, Reiner, Annie, and Bertholdt all performed clean and quick cuts on the titans' napes as all the monsters fell to the floor, dead. Even Sasha was able to cut through the titan that was in her sights, only for her to unknowingly crash into Connie just as he was about to kill his own target. The two crashed to the floor with a titan towering over them.

"Unhhh…" Connie groaned, just as Sasha struggled to get up. As she did so, the titan had turned around to look at them and both cadets immediately fell under the terrifying presence of the gigantic monster.

"Ah…" Sasha's lip trembled in fear. There was no vertical maneuvering gear to help them get out of this. There was no escape for the two of them… not with a titan cornering them like this…

"Sasha and Connie!" Marco shouted, getting the attention of the four other cadets as they looked towards the direction of the last remaining titan in the room. "Hurry! They need backup!"

"U-Um… w-we're… really sorry for… s-sneaking up on… y-you…" Sasha stuttered out of fear, as the titan slowly advanced towards them. Connie was behind her, already backed up against the wall with nowhere to go. Sasha's eyes widened when the titan suddenly fell forward and looked like it was about to lunge at her. "WE'RE REALLY SORRY!" she cried out, diving to the side in a desperate attempt to avoid the titan.

***SLASH!***

Hearing the sound of blades cutting through flesh, Sasha turned her head back and saw Annie standing on top of the titan's corpse, having killed it.

"Sasha… are you hurt? Can you stand?" The brunette turned her head again to see Mikasa in front of her with a concerned look on her face. With teary eyes, Sasha quickly stood up and wrapped Mikasa in a tight hug, greatly surprising the raven-haired girl.

"Mikasa… you guys saved my life! I'm okay thanks to you!" she said, hugging her savior even tighter. Mikasa could only wrap her arms awkwardly around Sasha in return, greatly confusing her since she wasn't even the one who killed that titan.

"Sorry about that…" Connie smiled at Annie embarrassingly, although he was grateful that she saved their lives right there.

"No problem…" she said with her emotionless tone.

"Hey!" Reiner exclaimed, running over towards the blonde girl. "That was too close, Annie… I'm just glad you didn't get injured…"

Realizing that the coast was now clear, Jean looked up at the cadets who were still inside of the lift with a shit-eating grin on his face. "They've all been put down! Now we can focus on stocking up!" he yelled out to all of his comrades as they burst into cheers.

"YEAH!"

Within minutes, the cadets of the 104th flooded the supply room, refilling their gas canisters while also bringing along extra ones for good measure. They also renewed their blades in the case of a titan encounter while they journey to the wall, but right now, one thing was in everyone's minds. And that was to finally evacuate this town.

"There ya go! Bring as much as you can carry!"

"The titans aren't coming in!"

"Eren must be keeping them busy outside!"

While everyone else was hyped in stocking up their supplies, Sasha had a look of remorse on her face as she replaced her empty canisters with fresh ones.

"Nh… I… I… yielded to a titan…" she mumbled out, feeling responsible for what happened earlier. If Annie and the others hadn't come sooner, Connie and her would be dead right. If only she didn't screw up her landing… none of that would've happened. "How can I… look at anyone…?" she asked herself, bringing her hands up to her hand as if she was panicking.

"Hey, it wasn't even you who failed to kill that titan." Connie told her, while also rolling his eyes. "Now let's hit the road before it really is too late!"

"We did it…!"

"We did it! Now we can get outta here!"

"Everybody out, quick!"

As soon as they were done stocking up on supplies, the cadets wasted no time and quickly high-tailed out of the HQ. Nearly all of them headed straight for the inner gate and join the evacuation, but there were some who weren't going to leave just yet.

Perched outside of one of the windows, Mikasa was ready to leave only to remember something important that they were forgetting. The sound of roaring in the distance was enough to convince her to fly to the top of the HQ, surprising Armin, Reiner and Jean who were still inside, supposedly waiting for her to zoom away.

Armin quickly looked out of the window and caught sight of Mikasa flying to the top of the building. "Eh?! Mikasa, where are you going?!" His statement caught Reiner and Jean's attention. Did that mean she wasn't following through with the order to evacuate?

The blonde teen immediately followed his friend to the top of the HQ, where he saw her simply standing there, apparently watching something.

"Mikasa… if we don't get out of here soon…" he tried to say, but Mikasa had already pointed to a certain figure below in the street.

"Eren…"

The sound of his friend's name was enough to get Armin's full attention. Right, he had forgotten about Eren since he was so focused on retaking the supply room from the titans earlier. Now that his mind was slowly coming back to its senses, Armin quickly walked up beside Mikasa where he noticed above a dozen titan corpses all over the streets, which were all starting to vaporize.

Armin widened his eyes at the amount of titans that were obliterated all around, before finally turning his gaze to the nearby building where his friend was holding off at least three 10-meter class titans. "Eren is…" He saw how Eren was struggling to fight them all off at once, mainly using his demonic arm to repel every attempt that the titans made to grab him. "He's being cornered by them…?"

Upon hearing those words, Mikasa was ready to fly down and help kill those titans but Armin grabbed her arm to keep her from going anywhere. "No, don't!" he said, shaking his head to tell her that it's not the right thing to do.

Mikasa tried to argue. Whatever Eren was, he could still die and she didn't want that. She didn't want to go through that pain again. "But…"

"We'd only get in the way! Eren can handle this by himself!" Armin pointed to the titan corpses all over the streets. "See those dead titans? He killed them all by himself. And he's doing it to protect us! Let's not go against what he wants to happen."

"No, I agree with Mikasa!" Reiner said from behind, earning Mikasa and Armin's attention. He was with Annie, Bertholdt, Jean, Sasha and Connie. "If Eren really gets killed, all of this will be over without him explaining what the hell is going on! Let's eliminate the ones who are overwhelming him before getting him out of there!"

Armin shook his head again. "No Reiner, you don't understand. Eren is not —" he was going to try and explain what he understood from Eren's true nature, regarding his arm and his strange abilities but Reiner cut him off fairly quickly.

"Save it, Armin. Even if you explain your side of the story, we still need to learn everything from Eren himself. And we can't do that if Eren's dead." He said in a serious tone, which managed to shut the blonde boy up. He couldn't find an answer to _that_, knowing that it was true. Even Armin himself wasn't really sure what was going on with Eren, everything that he thought about his friend from after he removed the bandages from his arm, had been his own interpretation.

While Armin was silenced, Jean walked up to Reiner and decided to voice his own opinion.

"Reiner, are you insane?! We're finally able to escape this death trap and now you want to stay and fight titans? You're gonna waste the gas that we worked so hard to get! Let's leave while we have the chance! Eren can take care of himself!"

"But what about the possibility of Eren becoming a valuable asset to us?" Annie spoke up. "If he's capable of killing all these titans around us without a sweat, letting him die here would be a waste and the likes of him may never be replaced."

"...?! An asset, you say?!" Jean was almost taken aback with Annie's words since he never expected those from her. "Is that seriously what you're suggesting when we don't even know what's going on with him?!"

While everyone else was arguing on what course of action they should do, Armin noticed a 10-meter titan passing by in front of Eren with the titans that surrounded him. However, it wasn't just _any_ regular titan. The blonde teen was quick to notice how familiar this titan looked like to him… as if he had already come across it before…

"Ah… hang on… isn't that…" Armin's eyes grew wide as he remembered. "...the abnormal that ate Thomas?!"

**"AAAAGGGGHHHH!" **Eren's scream was enough to get everyone's complete attention, as all eyes fell upon the white-haired teen.

* * *

_**"That titan… I remember it! I'll kill you a thousand times over!" **_The Devil Trigger Eren said in his thoughts, and with a scream, he let loose a powerful aura of his demonic energy that pushed back all of the titans that were surrounding him. It also seemed to attract the attention of the abnormal, turning its head towards him.

Eren wasted no time and jumped off the building where he was standing before punching the abnormal straight in the jaw with his demonic arm, unknowingly shocking his friends at the HQ and sending it crashing into the ground face-first, but he wasn't done yet. While the titan was down, Eren jumped on top of it and began unleashing his fury on the monster in the form of relentless punches, as if he was releasing all of his anger into it. By now, the titan was already dead from its nape getting crushed but Eren kept on punching like it was the only thing he knew how to do.

"EREN! BEHIND YOU!"

Hearing that voice was enough for Eren to turn around, where he noticed that the 10-meter class titans he had pushed back earlier were back to their feet and were heading towards him.

Letting out a little growl, the Devil Trigger Eren jumped up high into the air before snatching the titan corpse under him by its nape. With incredible strength, he managed to lift the titan before drawing his arm back as its spectral image appeared. **"You bastards should go to hell altogether!"** As he said those words, he threw the abnormal's corpse towards the approaching titans as all of them were blown back as it crashed into them.

Eren then landed on the ground and the moment he did, he immediately fell to one knee as he panted heavily in exhaustion. The time he had spent in this state was taking its toll, and Eren felt like he could pass out any second. However, he was still able to look up one more time with his usual grin before as his eyes returned to their emerald color.

**"Jack…**pot…" he muttered before his **Devil Trigger** finally deactivated and leaving the white-haired teen in his original form. However, he was too exhausted to even do anything else as he collapsed and fell to the ground.

From the top of the military HQ, words alone can't describe how the cadets felt after watching all of that. From Eren blowing away a trio of titans with a lone scream, to him punching the lights out of an abnormal, to easily destroying said abnormal before throwing it towards the monsters that were ganging up on him earlier. They already had tons of questions lingering in their minds after what they had just witnessed but the one thing that was in common between all of them was their similar confusion towards Eren's right arm. Before all of this, it was under bandages and Eren himself stated it was due to horrible burns that he had sustained. But that couldn't be any more wrong, considering he had _lifted_ up a titan with his right arm alone and using it to kill a titan without any weapon, let alone a maneuvering device.

It was like he was using his bare hands.

Amongst all of them, only Jean was able to find his voice and speak. His words were few, but it was because of his own state of shock.

"What the hell… did we just see…?" he mumbled, staring down below at the carnage that Eren caused because the titans that received the end of that abnormal that was thrown to them had crashed into several separate buildings.

However, it was Mikasa who was able to regain control of her own self as she realized what could happen next. Without hesitation, she quickly flew down to the ground and carried Eren in her arms, before she struggled to zoom back up. Unfortunately, she couldn't handle the combined weight of Eren and her own gear, so she only made it to the second floor of the HQ. Reiner, Jean and the others also flew down to the second floor as all eyes were still kept directly towards Eren.

Mikasa laid him down while supporting his head with her hand as tears brimmed in the corner of her eyes. She wanted to hug him out of happiness that he wasn't dead at all, but now wasn't the right time to be that way, not after what just happened.

Shocking everyone present, Eren began to cough as he slowly opened his eyes. He was still panting heavily as a sign of his exhaustion, but he was still able to see the person carrying him that he couldn't help but smile.

"H…Hey, Mikasa…" he breathed out.

Her eyes widened, and that did it. Those simple words were enough to break through her. Tears flowed from her black orbs as she sobbed into Eren's chest, while he weakly raised his right hand to pat her head softly, and inadvertently giving everyone a good view of his **Devil Bringer**. Most of them were startled and were even worried that Mikasa would get hurt, but nothing happened.

With Mikasa's head out of the way, Eren was able to see Sasha standing with the others, as tears started forming in her eyes. She was one of the people who were deeply affected by his 'death', only using her cheerfulness and bubbly nature to hide what she felt inside. That was how she had always been. It was a rare sight to see Sasha with a sad look, but if she did, it was mostly about food and problems regarding it. Now… seeing Eren in front of her… alive and well… she didn't know what to feel at all.

"Hey, Sasha." He called out to her, and her eyes widened just like how Mikasa did, before collapsing to her knees.

Eren was alive.

He was really alive.

He wasn't dead.

Sasha sniffled as tears flowed down her cheeks, before covering her face with her hands. She didn't want anybody to see her like this. While she cried her eyes out, Connie knelt down and started patting her on the back in an attempt to comfort her.

Eren sighed deeply as he looked up at the sky, letting his right arm fall to his side, letting himself fall into consciousness. "I think… I think I'm going to rest for a while…" His eyes began to slowly close. "That… took a lot out of me…"

While two of them were crying that Eren wasn't dead and the rest were left dumbfounded at everything that just transpired, Armin walked towards his friend's other side and knelt down, observing his demonic arm slowly.

"What were you hiding all along, Eren…?" Armin muttered, raising Eren's **Devil Bringer** as his eyes darted from the arm to the white-haired teen himself.

* * *

_**Damn, what a chapter! The cadets have finally reached the supply depot and they are evacuating Trost, but some were left behind as they witnessed Eren unleashing his demonic powers on the titans. Now that he's back to normal, what's gonna happen next? I'm sure you all know since this is the time when Eren, Mikasa, and Armin were cornered by many soldiers after finding out Eren was a titan, but what's gonna happen here? However, before that, everyone knows that we have a little side story that we have to go through. A side story entitled after a certain black-haired midget XD. Stay tuned!**_

_**Just to clarify once more, Eren's devil trigger here is the same as Nero's DT in DMC4. He is more adept in using Rebellion since Dante was his teacher. He can use Yamato, but not as efficiently as Vergil. However, while in DT, he is able to tap into his inner demon and be able to use Yamato a lot better only at the cost of his energy getting drained a lot faster.**_

_**Also, I think I have found a way to incorporate DMC4 into the story without having to wait for the you-know-what reveal. If I wait until that particular moment, I think it's going to lose hype because well… it doesn't feel threatening to the whole island anymore. But I'm gonna help in planning it out, so if anyone is interested in helping me make the DMC4 arc, please PM me.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	14. Side Story: Captain Levi

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry or any of its characters…**_

_**Consider this the start of Volume 3 hahahahaha!**_

* * *

_Over 100 years ago, the human race faced extinction… due to the appearance of its 'natural enemy'._

_The humans who managed to survive construct three immense walls, one within the other. And thus, they won 100 years of peace._

_However, five years ago… that peace came to an end._

_The Colossal Titan destroyed the gate of Shiganshina… and the titans, released from 100 years of hunger, laid waste to the human race again._

_The humans abandoned their outermost wall. Twenty percent of the population and a third of their domain was lost. The human race was forced to fall back behind the second wall._

_However… at the same time, humanity awakened._

* * *

**(Year 850, Wall Rose, Trost District)**

A huge crowd of people were flooding the streets, excited for their heroes to pass through as they were about to go on another expedition outside the wall. Various cheers could be heard from the townsfolk as the soldiers rode their horses towards the gate.

"Here they come!"

"It's the Survey Corps' main force!"

"Commander Erwin! Please drive the titans away!"

* * *

_And so, five years later… the Survey Corps, unafraid of the horror that the titans bring, attempts to blaze a path beyond the wall._

_Humanity was concentrated in the Corps its funds, its best people - and it's hopes._

* * *

Eren Yeager was one of the people who stood within the crowd, also looking excited to see his childhood heroes set out from the wall. With him were Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert, and both of them were astonished, to say the least. This was one of the few times where they would personally witness the Scout Regiment leaving the wall to explore the land beyond.

"Hey… look!" Eren pointed towards a man with short, straight black hair styled in an undercut, as well as narrow, intimidating dull gray eyes with dark circles under them. "It's **CAPTAIN LEVI**, the strongest soldier alive! I hear that in battle, he's as strong as an entire brigade!"

Levi tiredly looked at Eren and his friends and saw their looks of amazement. "Tch… noisy brats…" he muttered under his breath.

"Those kids and their envious looks… if they only knew what a clean freak you are, it'd burst their bubble!" A woman with shoulder length dark brown hair that was tied in a high ponytail rode together with Levi on their way to the gate. She also had square, thick-rimmed glasses strapped around her head to keep them from falling off.

The sound of the gate opening happened just a few moments later, and the Survey Corps thus began a new expedition beyond the wall.

"The gate's opening! From here on, it's titan territory!"

"We'll recapture the town that was stolen from us five years ago!"

* * *

_This Survey Corps given this duty included humanity's brightest._

_Their ready wits have improved the survival rate of the Survey Corps dramatically… but even now, when troops are sent into titan territory, the casualty rate is over 30%._

_That's how much stronger titans are than humans._

* * *

In one of the ruined towns outside of Trost, a titan had a soldier in its mouth as he tried to stab the monster in the eye with his blade. He looked to be severely wounded with blood dripping from his head as he struggled to hit the titan's eye.

"Just… you watch…" he groaned out in pain, before coughing out a handful of blood. "One day… No… One of these days… humans… are gonna destroy you…" He glared at the titan. "The human race will be the survivors… in the end… You are all… nothing…"

The sound of ODM gear firing its grappling hooks followed as it reached the titan.

"...to Captain Levi…"

***SLASH!***

With incredible speed, Levi rushed towards the titan like a spinning helicopter blade and quickly dispatched of it, before landing on a nearby rooftop. The soldier looked happy as Levi arrived, but that was cut off early when the titan fell to the ground as a corpse, taking him along with it.

Levi turned back for a few moments, checking to see if that soldier was alright. Having no sign of him anywhere, he turned his attention to surveying the area before him. _"One on the right… two on the left…"_ he thought to himself, seeing various titans roaming the streets beyond.

A female soldier with shoulder-length light ginger hair and amber-colored eyes then landed beside the captain. She was **PETRA RAL**, one of Levi's subordinates.

"Captain! I've gathered reinforcements!" she cried out.

"Petra! Look after the soldiers below!" He ordered, turning towards her immediately. "Whoever's left, send them after the one on the right!"

"Eh…?!" she said, dumbfounded.

"I'll clean up on the left!" With that, Levi took off and headed for the two remaining titans to the left to finish the job. "You all have such… interesting faces!" He fired his gear towards the building behind one titan, moving behind it before slashing through its nape with ease. He then used the momentum from his flight to rebound back towards the building and head for the last one, who reached out to grab him in mid-air. Levi then threw his blades towards the titan's eyes, cutting off its movements before he landed on top of its head.

"Woah… keep still…" he said, struggling to maintain his balance on top of the blinded monster. "If you don't, I'll never get…" he quickly replaced his blades with new ones from his gear. "...a clean cut of your flesh."

He jumped up into the air, before firing his gear at the titan's nape. Spinning in mid-air, he used the momentum of his movements to deliver a huge cut on the back of the titan's head, killing it before he landed on the nearest rooftop.

"Tsk!" He said in disgust, seeing some titan blood getting into his sword handle as well as his cloak. "Got it all dirty. Damn it… this is what I can't stand in titan-killing." He quickly wiped off the blood from him and his blade before heading back since he was all done here.

"Hey…" he called out, landing back on the ground as he walked up towards his subordinate who was trying her best to revive the fallen soldier from earlier. "Petra, what's his condition?!"

"Captain…" she said, looking up at her superior. "The bleeding… won't stop…"

Levi remained indifferent, but that was his usual look most of the time. It's because of this that nobody really knew what was going on in his mind, or what he could be feeling in particular. This turned into surprise, however, when the soldier coughed up blood and struggled to speak.

"Cap...tain…"

Levi quickly knelt down and looked at him in alarm. "What is it?"

"W-Was I… of any use… to the human… race…? Or… am I… gonna die… useless…?" He muttered in a weak voice, shakily raising his hand.

The captain still looked indifferent for a few more moments before suddenly grasping the soldier's hand tightly with his own. "You've done more than enough… and you'll do more. The resolve you leave behind will give me strength." Levi said with a determined voice, his face becoming more serious. "I swear to you… I _will_ eradicate the titans!"

"Captain…" said Petra, gaining Levi's attention. "He's… gone…" The man looked down at his fallen comrade for a moment in surprise, before regaining his scowling expression as Levi let go of his hand.

"Did he hear me to the end?" said Levi with a small tone of sadness in his words.

Petra nodded. "I'm sure he heard you. I mean… it looks like he's sleeping peacefully…"

"Good, then…" Levi nodded as well, before the sound of horses galloping towards them caused both to turn their heads at whoever it was.

The blonde man who appeared to be the one leading all of them was the one to speak. "Levi! We're retreating!" he spoke.

"...?! Retreating…?!" Levi was shocked at his sudden order for a few seconds before scowling at the man. "Tch, we haven't even made it to the border! You mean my troops died in vain? I'm sure you have a good reason for aborting the expedition, don't you?"

"The titans are after the town! They've started moving northward as a group!"

That single line was enough for both Levi and Petra to widen their eyes, as they did not expect something like _that_.

"It's just like five years ago." The blonde man said, narrowing his eyes. "They may have already… broken through the wall!"

* * *

_**And that ends this short side-story! Next chapter, we'll get back to Eren and the others with the continuation of the Battle for Trost. This was only just a chapter to introduce Levi like in the manga, which like I said, I aim to follow as much as possible in some arcs like this one, but I also have my own twists.**_

_**GOOD NEWS! Although I am sad that nobody wanted to help me out, I still managed to finally create the DMC4 arc for this story! I'll be getting elements from its storyline while doing my best to make it fit in with the world of Attack on Titan. It's not gonna come after the you-know-what reveal, and it's actually gonna happen sooner than you might think ;)**_

_**Another good news is that I have made my decision regarding the devil arms. Yes, I have decided that they will also be appearing here but I won't say when. Just keep it in mind. Regarding which devil arms specifically, I'll be going with the DMC3 ones since everyone who is a fan of DMC is already familiar with them and they seem to be the most remembered.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	15. The Right Arm

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

**"This may be the last time I'm gonna be able to talk to you, kid… the power that I've left inside you is becoming weaker and weaker, so just assume that I'm already gone until I somehow manage to talk to you again." **_Dante said, as he looked at his nephew before him._ **"I've taught you all I can, and now it's up to you on how you'll use what you learned from me. Got that?"**

_Eren nodded and looked down at his right arm. It was the first day of military training tomorrow, and Dante decided to bring him inside his mind for a little 'talk' as he put it. Now that he was aware that this might be the last time they meet, it was best to tell him everything he wanted to say. Truth be told, there was a little fact about his uncle that he learned which greatly confused him and this was the perfect time to ask it._

_"I just have one question, Dante." He said, looking up at the red-clad devil hunter._

**"Then speak up."** _Dante sat back on the imaginary couch he was on and let Nero talk._

_"Why is it that you never wanted to kill a human?" Eren asked, which caused Dante's eyes to widen slightly. "You said that you believe humans are worse than demons, and yet… you never raised your sword against another human being. It's just that… I think the same… but I believe that humans should be put down if they are really monsters in hiding!"_

_Dante remained silent for a few seconds before finally sighing. _**"You're right. I do believe that humans are worse than devils, although not all the time." **He began to explain with Eren listening closely. **"There are some humans who are good, just as there are demons who are also good. But the reason why I never killed a human in my life, is because I believed it would make me worse than a human or a demon. I'm supposed to complain since I was the son of a demon, but I didn't care. I didn't want to be considered that way."**

_Eren nodded slowly, as he understood Dante's reason. He thought so much about killing 'monsters in human skin' that he forgot what it would make him. A hero? Not really. A savior? Perhaps, but not to everyone. "So that means… I shouldn't kill a human too?" Almost immediately, he understood Dante's reason to the point that he also didn't want to be considered as something worse than a human or demon. The thought of it apparently made him sick._

**"Now where did you get that?" **_Dante raised an eyebrow in curiosity._ **"I didn't say it was a rule or anything, so you don't need to do the same thing I did. Remember what I said? Everything that happens from now on… it's you who'll decide how to take it."**

_"But you said—" Eren tried to argue, but Dante was quick to cut him off._

**"Everything I said… was all because of my own perspective. You don't have to copy my way of living, because I'll be honest…" **_Dante pointed to himself boastfully._ **"Ain't nobody like me except me, Nero. Don't copy my style, you should make your own."**

_The scowl on Eren's face was enough proof that he wasn't getting Dante's point at all._

_Eventually, Dante sighed and beckoned his nephew to come closer. _**"Come here, kid."** _Although thinking that the devil hunter was going to mess with him again, he still walked up to Dante. Upon reaching him, however, he was surprised when his uncle placed both of his hands on his shoulders. _**"I'm serious in what I told you, Nero. You have to make your own decisions, especially in the future when the demons finally show up. Don't treat everything I did like a Gospel, because my life sure as hell ain't the perfect one like you make it out to be. You know that, right?"**

_Remembering what Dante went through in his lifetime, especially Vergil, he nodded. "I do."_

_Dante flashed him a grin. _**"Then I'm trusting you in this, kid. You're making your own choices in what you're going to do from now on. I may have never killed a human in my life, but if you think it's the right thing, then do it. Don't hesitate. Humans can be worse than demons but in your case for now, the titans, and if they're not put down before it's too late, regret will eat you alive in the end."**

_"Yeah…" Eren found himself nodding, realizing the truth in Dante's words. He was also surprised that his uncle can be this wise if need be. He was always carefree and lighthearted that it could be said there wasn't an ounce of seriousness in him. However, there were times when he would indeed become serious and act more mature than his usual self._

**"Make your own decisions kid… if you think it's the right thing to do… then go for it."**

_"I understand now…"_

_THUMP_

_THUMP_

_THUMP_

* * *

"I'll kill you all~" Eren whispered with a dreamy smile on his face.

Armin, who was beside him had tears in his eyes as he called out to his friend. "Eren…?"

Although it took a few moments, Eren began to come back to his senses as his eyes widened. He was awake. Strange, the last thing he remembered was that he fell asleep at the HQ but now he wasn't anywhere near the building. "Wha…?!" he suddenly exclaimed out of confusion, before looking up to see where he was.

Mikasa was standing in front of him, while they were all surrounded by various Garrison soldiers from a distance. The raven-haired looked back for a moment to see Eren awake and he noticed that her eyes were filled with worry and fear.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed, nearing tears.

"...?" The white-haired teen continued to look at everything around him in confusion, just as Armin placed his hands on his shoulders, before shaking him back and forth.

"Eren! Can you move? Can you hear me?" Eren finally turned his gaze towards his blonde friend as he noticed the desperation in Armin's eyes. "You said you'll explain, right? Tell us everything! I know they'll understand!"

"Armin…?" he breathed out. His head still wasn't in the right place, therefore he couldn't think straight. Eren felt like something was missing… but what was it?

"Hey… did you hear that?"

"He said 'I'll kill you all…'"

"Yeah… I heard it too. He was talking about us!"

"He wanted to kill us…"

"Wait…" Eren frowned in confusion. _"What are they saying? Why… Why are we surrounded? Why is everyone pointing their swords at us? Aren't those supposed to be for killing titans?"_ He noticed how all of the soldiers around them had their blades at the ready. _"And…"_ He saw how most of the soldiers looked at him in fear, some with anger, while a few had disgust in their eyes. _"...why are they looking at me like that?!"_

It took him a few more seconds, but it finally hit him. His eyes widened, before he slowly looked down at his right arm. It wasn't normal, nor was it covered in bandages like it always was. In fact, it was glowing.

His **Devil Bringer** was on display for everyone to see.

"Damn it…!" He cursed, slamming his palm into his face out of frustration. Great, his secret was out and now everyone can see it. He had every intention of explaining everything, but this wasn't how he wanted it to go down. But he couldn't exactly blame the military for acting like this.

"Trainee Yeager!" A bearded man with sunken eyes and brown hair as well as a thick mustache, spoke up in a loud booming voice. He was known as **KITZ WOERMANN**, the Captain of the Garrison's 1st Division Elite Forces. "It seems you have regained consciousness! Your present behavior constitutes treason against the human race! Your lives depend on how you answer my questions! If you attempt to deceive me or make any move… I will not hesitate…" A cannon from atop the wall was already aimed towards Eren, Mikasa and Armin. "...to blow you apart."

Eren saw the cannon even though it was far from them, before turning to the man who spoke. "Can't be helped. Let's get this over with…" he muttered under his breath, while also rolling his eyes at his own self, annoyed that he let this happen.

Kitz narrowed his eyes. "I'll ask you plainly. What are you?" All of the soldiers surrounding the three cadets tightly gripped their swords. "A man? Or a titan?"

Silence filled the air for a few moments afterwards, before the bomb was dropped. "I'm not a human!" Eren declared with a loud voice so that everyone could hear him, before standing up. Kitz and most of the soldiers were already widening their eyes out of fear. The man was ready to give the order to fire only for the white-haired teen spoke again.

"But I'm not a titan or a monster either!" It took a moment, but then looks of confusion replaced the fear in their eyes, as everyone including Armin and Mikasa, turned their full attention towards Eren. Even Kitz had a look of confusion on his face just as he was about to raise his hand to give the order.

"I'm your ally." Eren finished with a serious tone, raising his arms as a sign that he wasn't going to fight or anything, wanting to prove his words.

The look on Kitz's face became one of pure anger, yet fear could be seen in his eyes. "DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOOL, YOU MONSTER?! PLAY DUMB AGAIN, AND I'LL BLOW YOU TO SMITHEREENS IN AN INSTANT! YOU WON'T HAVE TIME TO REACT!" He began to recount the events that have passed about an hour earlier. "Everyone saw it…! The moment you lifted up that titan with your arm!"

_"They must have heard me screaming… and he thinks I'm a titan?"_ Eren thought, as memories of what happened while he was in his **Devil Trigger** started to fill his mind.

"Right now, Wall Rose is being breached by titans of an unknown type, like you! Even if you are a part of a trainee squad honored by the King, even if you wretches are royally-recognized trainee soldiers, it's appropriate to eliminate before you can become dangerous! I know I'm right! The Armored Titan that destroyed Wall Maria could appear, even now! Humanity is on the brink of extinction! We cannot allow ourselves to fail as we did five years ago!"

Eren retained his serious look, as if he was unphased with every line thrown at him.

"Do you understand?! We can't afford to spend any more time or troops on you bastards!" Kitz pointed to the three cadets. "I'll blow you to pieces without batting an eye!"

"They are clearly defiant." said a woman with a small but secure build. She had shaggy, cheek length, platinum blonde hair, and silver-colored eyes with a small framed pair of glasses over them. She was **RICO BRZENSKA**, one of the members of the Garrison's 1st Division Elite Forces. "And I doubt we'll get any information from them, sir. So as you say…" she looked up at her superior. "They're a waste of our soldiers and time."

"It'll be easy if we act now!"

"Blow him up while he's in human form!"

More of the Garrison's soldiers appeared to be in favor of blowing away the cadets, only for them to look on in confusion when the raven-haired girl to step forward and gripped her sword tightly, although she was shaking.

"I'm… not as good as Eren…" she said in a nervous tone, before looking up at everyone around them with a look of determination. "But I will do whatever it takes to protect my friends! Even if it costs me my life!" she declared, as Armin and Eren looked at her in shock. Mikasa had never been like this before, and this was very likely the first time she had stood up to anyone.

While most of the Garrison members were taken aback with the girl's declaration, Ian stepped up and walked towards Kitz. "Captain… that's Mikasa Ackerman. The blonde boy behind her is Armin Arlert." He explained with a serious look on his face. "She may be behind Trainee Yeager in the ranking, but her skills are as valuable as a whole squad. Arlert may be physically weak, but his brain is a weapon to be utilized against our enemies. If anything happens to them… it'd be a huge loss to the human race."

Needless to say, Kitz was speechless after that.

"Mikasa, what are you doing…? You can't possibly be serious in fighting all of them?!" Eren said with his eyes filled with worry.

"Mikasa… what good would fighting our own people do? Where would we be able to run within these walls?" Armin asked her, standing up as well.

"I… I don't care who I have to fight…" Mikasa answered, looking down on the ground to hide her tears from the two. "I won't let you two die… You're… both… important to me…"

"Then let's talk to them!" Armin pleaded with tears flowing from his eyes. "When people are faced with a situation they don't understand, it's easy for fear to take hold…"

"I'll ask you one more time!" Kitz's voice boomed around the whole area, as the trio of cadets turned towards him. "What are you?!"

Silence befell around the whole place again, and Eren didn't answer for a few moments. Everyone was waiting anxiously for an answer from the white-haired teen. However, much to their shock and fear, he did took steps forward until he was in front of Mikasa, where he stopped and raised his arms as if he was shielding his two friends. Everyone raised their swords just in case, as Eren finally spoke.

"I'M…YOUR…ALLY!" He shouted back, startling most of the soldiers there before pointing to Kitz with his demonic arm that was enough to send chills down the man's spine. "And if you can't understand that, old man… then you're better off leaving this to people who _actually_ use their brains at a time such as this!"

…

…

…

"I see…" Kitz said in a low tone, hanging his head a bit before he slowly began to raise his arm. "Don't take this personally, brat… I have no other choice… no man can prove… that he's not a devil…"

Mikasa quickly grabbed Eren's arm, earning his attention as well. "Eren! Grab Armin and let's escape over the wall!" she said with her eyes full of worry. Her voice was also desperate, as she didn't want them to die here.

"Don't worry about me." he told her simply. He looked calm in spite of what was happening. His tone was sincere and his voice was serious but Mikasa shook her head as tears freely rolled down her cheeks. She grabbed his arm with both hands and looked up at him.

"Please…" Mikasa didn't want to lose Eren again, not when it was shown that he was actually alive. She can't bear the thought of losing him again… not again…

While Mikasa tried her best to plead with Eren, Armin looked up behind them and gulped. "Oh no… look…" he breathed out in fear.

Eren and Mikasa seemed to hear him as they looked up too. _"Above us, too… that means escaping over the wall is an impossible option…"_ Eren thought, narrowing his eyes as he felt Mikasa clinging on to his arm tighter. However, his eyes widened considerably when he noticed something that was hanging from his neck. Pulling it out, it was the key that Grisha left for him _that night_ and Eren stared at it for a few moments, all while looking dumbfounded as a quick memory of that night went through his mind.

_"Eren, never let go of this key and remember that you need to make it back to our house's basement. Inside there are the answers to everything."_

The white-haired teen remained wide-eyed and held the key tightly in his grasp, before hiding it inside his shirt again away from everyone's view. He then turned his attention towards the shaking Armin.

"P-Please listen! I'll tell you everything I know about the titans!" Armin tried pleading with the captain who led them all, but he had already raised his arm in preparation, causing the blonde boy to lose all hope only for him to nearly fall over from behind and when he turned around, he saw Eren pulling him close with his right arm with Mikasa grabbing on to his left one.

_"Bring it on."_ Eren sent a glare towards Kitz's direction, clenching his demonic arm from behind.

With a single movement from the captain's arm, the troops from atop the wall fired the cannon.

Eren maintained a calm look and closed his eyes as the cannonball went straight towards them. Armin and Mikasa had closed their eyes as well, thinking that this was the end for them.

However, just when it reached about halfway, Eren snapped his eyes open and reached out with his demonic arm, with his hand open as it met with the cannonball.

***BOOM!***

The resulting explosion created a smokescreen afterwards, and the Garrison soldiers had shielded their eyes because of it. It took about half a minute for the smoke to begin dissipating into the air, but by this moment, gasps and screams of fear had already filled the area at what they saw.

When it finally came to view, Kitz was left wide-eyed and breathing heavily at what was before him. Even the stoic-looking Rico and the all-serious Ian who were beside him had widened their eyes in shock.

Even Armin and Mikasa, even though they were the ones who just got saved from a cannonball and the ones who have witnessed this already, couldn't help but be shocked at what was above them.

The giant spectral form of Eren's demonic arm reaching out to block the cannonball.

* * *

_**That ends this chapter! Well now, Eren's secret is out in the worst way possible and he hates himself for it hahahahahaha. Will he be able to explain everything properly? Or will that annoying Kitz continue to act like a coward and fire another cannonball to get rid of the trio? Tune in next chapter!**_

_**We're halfway through the Trost arc, guys! I think I'm going to just reveal the members of Eren's harem now, because I think it's too obvious by now and I should just let it out. XD**_

_**-Mikasa**_

_**-Historia**_

_**-Annie**_

_**-Sasha**_

_**-Petra**_

_**-Pieck**_

_**Well there you have it! I'm trying to give each of them development as characters as well as for their romance routes with Eren. For now, Mikasa is the one receiving the most development but I have BIG plans for Historia and Annie, especially for upcoming arcs. For Sasha, Petra, and Pieck, they'll come around and I'll make it work. Pieck will most likely be the hardest of them imo, hahahaha.**_

_**-Lance**_


	16. Response

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

From the top of the wall where the inner gate was located, stood three soldiers staring down at the mindless titans below that were trying to climb up the wall only for them to stick to hundreds of harpoons scattered along the giant net that was leaning over the wall.

"They're sticking to those harpoons all right. Making a bulwark out of the titan's themselves was the technical crew's idea… but still, we can't let our guard down. We have to forget regular operations and be ready to respond flexibly to whatever happens. The titans could charge… or the Colossal Titan could appear at any moment. This wall is the front line of the war between the human race and the titans…" said Hannes, as he crossed his arms and observed the situation at hand. He then frowned when he saw one of his subordinates visibly shaking. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"...nothing." The soldier shook his head. "Our mission is going smoothly… but… I'm worried about our comrades in the vanguard."

Hannes nodded slowly. "Yeah… for now, it's better we don't know how they're doing… we should concentrate on the counterattack, just like we did during initial training."

"I heard the three kids who escaped with you five years ago are trainees, Captain Hannes… they're on the front line, too…"

"Yeah…" For a moment, Hannes looked visibly tense upon the mention of those 'kids'. It seemed as if he was terribly concerned for their safety, prompting his subordinate beside him to quickly regret his words.

"I beg your pardon, sir… I talk too much…" he said, while looking down to avoid Hannes' gaze.

"They're safe." Hannes said, cutting him off.

"Eh?"

"They're tough kids. Each one of them has something that'll help 'em survive." An image of Eren, Mikasa and Armin appeared in his mind as he looked up. "One has advanced level combat skills. One is whip-smart. And one possesses both along with a tenacious spirit…" He narrowed his eyes slightly. "They're safe. I'm sure they're alive.

* * *

In the town past the inner wall, the remaining soldiers who had evacuated Trost were busy gathering supplies in preparation for future orders from their superiors. In one particular area of the place, the cadets of the 104th were gathered altogether, with most of them having grim expressions on their faces because of what they just went through.

"Trainees!" A Garrison soldier shouted out towards them. "Get fully equipped and stand by in squad formation until further orders!"

"It's complicated…" Connie sighed and looked down to avoid the gazes of his comrades. "I don't want to talk about it."

"If you're not feeling like it at the moment, you don't have to tell us about what happened in the town." Krista said with a smile of sympathy. "I'm sorry… I kept volunteering to help with supplying everyone…"

"After everything we went through to secure that gas… weren't you the one who wanted to jump down and wanted to stick with those who were left at the HQ?" Ymir commented, which caused Krista's eyes to slowly widen.

"Th-Then everyone who isn't here right now is…" she concluded, only for Connie to answer her with a nod.

"...Yeah."

"Are you sure? Even Mikasa? Arlert? Eren? He was alive, right?" Ymir raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Didn't that blonde coward tell them that Eren was actually alive and fighting the titans that were around the HQ? Is he truly dead now? What about the other two?

"Like I said, I don't want to say anything." Connie shook his head and turned away to avoid their looks.

"Suit yourself." Ymir shrugged, before turning her attention towards Jean, who was sitting just a considerable distance from them. "Jean, mind telling us what happened with those three?"

Jean wasn't doing any better than Connie, honestly. Only that he was looking more troubled, and not to mention Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie were with him and sharing similar looks. He then took a sip of water from his jug before finally speaking up. "We all can't say anything… We were forced to swear an oath of secrecy." He told Ymir and the other soldiers, glancing towards them. "Although… I don't know how effective it's gonna be…"

"You were ordered not to tell?" Krista asked.

"What the hell?" Ymir protested. Something wasn't right here.

"It's not the kind of thing you can keep covered up… I'm sure the whole human race will know about it soon enough, so you'll get your answers one way another…" he looked down again, this time narrowing his eyes. "That is, if the human race still exists by then…"

On the other side of the street, Marco was doing his best to calm down a wailing Daz with Sasha closely watching the two, while also having deep thoughts of her own.

"Uhhh…" Daz moaned out in despair, holding his head with both of his hands. "Marco… I… I'm done… I can't… I can't fight the titans… My buddies were eaten right in front of me… They were eaten alive… and I didn't feel anything! No sadness or hate… I was just incredibly grateful that it wasn't me… But next time, it'll be my turn… I've figured it out! What our job really is… In short… we keep fighting… until the titans devour us!" With a wail akin to that of a child's, he pulled out one of his blades. "If I'm gonna be eaten alive… I'd rather die here!"

"Don't!" Marco quickly acted, preventing him from drawing his sword. "Get a hold of yourself, Daz! You're not the only one! We're all struggling with our fear…" He turned towards Sasha, who was just beside them. "Look at Sasha! Even after what she went through, she's still the perfect soldier!"

However, in contrast to Marco's words, Sasha simply hugged her knees together and looked incredibly worried. She was one of the people who witnessed what happened earlier at the HQ; sure, she was very relieved to see that Eren wasn't dead but… with how the soldiers from earlier took him away along with Mikasa and Armin… is he anywhere near safe? Then she was also forced to be quiet about it with everyone else so… she couldn't talk to anyone about it.

"Eren… please… stay safe…" she whispered in a soft tone, unable to be heard by anybody else. Tears also began gathering in her eyes again. She didn't want to experience the feeling of losing Eren again.

Daz mistook her current state as fear of those _monsters_ and it caused him to become more paranoid. "That's it…!" He shouted, pulling out his blade again.

"No!" Marco was quick to stop his hand, preventing Daz from going any further.

***BOOM!***

That particular explosion was loud enough to gain the attention of the many soldiers gathered there, as they all looked towards the direction of where they heard it.

"Cannon fire?!" Reiner snapped out of his grim expression and rushed into the street with Jean, looking towards the direction of where the explosion was. At that moment, cries from various soldiers could be heard all over the place.

"Just one shot?"

"Hey!"

"It came from inside the wall!"

"Has the floodgate been destroyed?!"

"Nah, that's the most fortified spot. There's no way… I'm sure someone just dropped an explosive."

"Still… what's all that smoke?!"

"It can't be… steam coming off a titan?!"

Hearing that last outcry made Reiner's eyes go wide and he begun to shake in fear. "...!" Without any other word, he fired his gear and flew up to a rooftop to head towards the source of the explosion.

"Reiner!" Jean cried, calling out for his comrade who wasn't able to hear him since he was already on his way. Jean and Annie were left wide-eyed in their places before firing their gears as well, following after Reiner as more soldiers got up and did the same.

The two immediately saw Reiner standing on the rooftop that was the nearest to where the smoke was coming from. They quickly made their way towards the blonde man as he began to speak.

"What the hell is going on down there?!" he asked with a confused frown, unable to see anything because of the smokescreen that covered the area, only for them to take a slight step back in fear when they caught a glimpse of the ethereal demonic arm that could only belong to one person.

* * *

"W-What happened?! D-Did we get hit?!" Armin asked, looking up with one eye open. The sight of Eren's **Devil Bringer** outstretched was the first sight to greet him, making the blonde let out a small 'eep' out of fear, only for it to finally disappear when Eren finally brought down his arm.

"No… we… weren't hit at all…" Mikasa said, as her eyes widened before finally letting go of Eren's arm so she could look at him, as the white-haired teen as a serious expression on his face. "E...Eren… he… protected us…"

"You guys okay?" he asked, glancing at his two friends only to see them nod at the same time. "Good. I don't know if they're waiting to see what happens… or if they're shocked at seeing _this_…" he raised his right arm. "The Garrison soldiers can't see us… but eventually… they'll resume the attack. And after what I just did, I'm not sure if we can talk our way out of this now."

"But… there still must be a way!" Mikasa cried out, still afraid of losing Eren and Armin.

"This smoke can only conceal us for as long as a minute or less…" Eren said, looking around. "So I'm going to be really quick and I need you both to listen carefully, because I'm not going to repeat anything I say." Realizing that he was finally going to give them their awaited explanation, both Armin and Mikasa nodded and he did the same in return. "Alright, have you two heard of the Legend of Sparda?"

It took a few moments, but Armin was quick to utilize his memory and he immediately answered. "Yes, I know about that! The legend goes that Sparda was a demon who rebelled against his own kind and fought for humanity, banishing them to the Underworld single-handedly." he explained, while the raven-haired girl looked intrigued, to say the least. Mikasa didn't know anything about that legend, but she was quick to understand Armin's words.

"That's nice. Now…" Eren raised his demonic arm for them to see. "Relate that legend to this arm of mine."

Mikasa was silent for a moment, putting piece after piece together and when she was done, her eyes widened as she raised her hand to cover her mouth. It didn't take long for her to figure out that there was a connection between Eren and the legend that Armin just explained. Meanwhile, Armin just looked down and took a deep breath.

"So my suspicions were right…" he mumbled in a defeated tone. "You are really… a demon… Eren…"

Mikasa was about to argue that Eren wasn't anything like a demon, but the teen himself beat her to it. "That's not really the case, Armin. If I was a demon, I wouldn't look anything like this."

The blonde boy looked up with a confused expression. "...what?"

"Alright, now that you are aware that the Legend of Sparda is real in every way, you have to know what happened after that. After Sparda continued to protect humanity for thousands of years, he met a woman and fell in love with her, before they started a family. They had twins as their children, and they grew up to be as strong as their father. One of them made a family of his own with another human, and that's where I come in."

Armin and Mikasa could only gasp in response, too shocked to even come up with anything else to say.

Eren clenched his arm into a fist and slammed it into his chest. "I carry the blood of Sparda in me, that's why my arm is like this. I am human, but I'm also part-demon." he revealed, narrowing his eyes slightly. "That's pretty much everything you need to know for now. I can't give the details in full with us getting cornered like this. Plus, the smoke is about to clear up soon and they'll be fire at us again."

Armin looked down, disappointed with Eren's decision but understanding his reason nonetheless. "So… what are we going to do now?" he asked.

"I'm… going to go away." He said with a grim tone and expression, causing Armin to look up in shock and Mikasa's eyes to start shaking.

"What? Where will you go? How?" Armin asked, frowning at the white-haired teen.

"For now, anywhere will do." He felt the key that was hanging from his neck through his clothes. "My dad told me that I must head back to my house's basement, and that I'd understand everything there… I suspect that there's valuable information hidden inside… most likely about the titans and maybe even about demons too."

Upon hearing Eren mention the titans, Armin gasped in surprise. What did Eren's father know about the titans? "Can you even do that when we're cornered by a squadron of soldiers?!"

"You saw me use my **Air Trick**, haven't you? You saw how I can 'disappear' like how you said it. I can escape even if they use their gears to chase me." Eren answered his friend with a smirk, before returming "Anyways, I have two ideas. As long as you two don't cover up for me… they won't kill you. I've already caused you enough trouble, so from here on out, I'm going to go alone."

"...no…!" Armin said, fear taking over him. If Eren leaves and runs off by himself, not only can he be attacked by the hundreds of titans beyond the wall, but there was also the chance that those demons could show up and ambush him. His plan basically a suicide mission where he could end up dead.

"Eren…" The two turned towards Mikasa, who spoke up for the first time in minutes, as she had tears in her eyes and shook her head slowly. "Please don't go… p…please… don't…" She didn't want Eren to leave, not when he will most likely meet his doom if he goes alone with titans that can ambush him at any moment.

While a tearful Mikasa continued to plead for Eren to stay, Armin looked down with a paranoid expression. _"It looks like the Garrison isn't moving to engage us in close combat… Eren's senses are quicker than a stray cat's, he would've noticed them moving in. It'll probably take them at least another 20 seconds to reload the cannon… I'm sure he will already be gone by then…"_ He thought back to the times when the three of them would share laughs at the refugee camp, as if everything else didn't matter to them. _"Why would I think of that at a time like this…? Because this is the end for us…? And even at the end… I'm nothing but a coward. Eren rescued me from trouble many times… Mikasa would do her best to make me feel happy… but not once did I return the favor."_

He looked up at them, seeing Eren conflicted upon seeing Mikasa openly crying before him, while pleading with him to stay.

_"What gives me the right to call them friends?" _He looked to the side, a lone tear falling from his eye. _"After this… the three of us… will probably never… be together again."_

"Eren… please… no…" the poor girl continued to shake her head, denying the idea of Eren leaving before he silenced her completely by putting his hands on her shoulders.

"That's enough, Mikasa. I did say I had two ideas, didn't I…?" He said with a serious look. "I told you the last resort I came up with to help with this decision. But I want Armin to make the final call."

Upon hearing his name, the blonde teen looked up with widened eyes just as Eren and Mikasa turned towards him. "Wha…?"

"Even I know the plan I came up with is crazy." He chuckled in a sarcastic manner. "It'd be most effective if I use my power strategically, alongside the army to fight both titans and demons. It may sound impossible…" He returned to his serious expression and stared directly into Armin's eyes. "But Armin, if you tell me you can convince the Garrison that I'm no threat to them… I'll believe you and stay. But if you can't do that… I'll follow through with the plan I came up with. Just decide in the next 15 seconds." He leaned closer towards the blonde teen. "Can you? Or can't you? I'll respect your opinion either way."

"Eren," he said in a conflicted tone. He was entirely confused with why Eren would trust him with this. "Why are you entrusting me with such an important decision?"

"Because when things are messed up, you always find the right thing to do…" Eren grinned at him. "I want to rely on that."

"When have I ever…?"

"A bunch of times. Take five years ago… if you hadn't gotten Hannes-san, my mother and I would've been devoured by a titan." he explained.

Armin couldn't say anything afterwards.

"Armin…" Mikasa spoke up, looking at her blonde friend still with tears in her eyes. "I have faith… in you… I… believe you can do it…! I know you can…!" She put her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way, attempting to give Armin confidence in his own self.

_"I had just… convinced myself," _Armin thought. _"Convinced myself that I was useless… that I was a burden… but these two… didn't think of me that way…"_ Eren's face was of complete seriousness while complete faith in him could be said from Mikasa's expression, and it caused him to look down with his hair covering his eyes.

"Armin…" Eren said, noticing that his friend may have gotten into a trance.

_"What other evidence do I need? These two are putting their lives in my hands… They… trust me more than… anyone else in the world…"_

Finally making his resolve, Armin looked back up with seriousness and determination burning in his expression, before quickly standing up and removing his gear. "I swear I'll convince them! You two do your best to show them you don't intend to resist!" he cried out to his two friends as he walked forth, leaving his discarded gear behind.

The smoke had disappeared completely, and many of the surrounding soldiers were shocked and slightly scared at Armin slowly approaching them.

_"Eren has been trapped from the moment he revealed his arm and started fighting… and I still haven't collected my thoughts, but… I have to do this! I'll think while I speak!"_ Armin told himself with determination in his eyes.

"You!" Kitz shouted out loud. "Stop right there!"

"He isn't an enemy of the human race!" Armin yelled back. "I wish to disclose all of the information I have acquired from him about his true nature!"

"It's meaningless to beg for your lives! He revealed his true form before our eyes! There's nothing left to be said! If you claim he is not a titan, show me proof! If you can't do that, I will eliminate the threat!"

"He is not a titan! He is something different from any titan out there! He hasn't even transformed into something as bad as a 3-meter class, no less!" Armin explained, causing most of the soldiers to frown in confusion. "First of all, how we see him isn't the issue!"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Kitz glared at the boy.

"You said everyone saw him! In that case, they must have seen him fighting the titans! And they must've seen the titans in the area ganging up on him!" The blonde teen argued back, which caused many of the Garrison troops to widen their eyes in realization.

"In other words, the titans saw him as _prey_, just like us! No matter how long we think and argue about this like children, that truth still stands!"

Various murmurs and whispers filled the place afterwards, with Armin's words leaving a mark in the soldiers' minds. Many of them have already lowered down their swords and thought twice about this situation, and even Reiner who was watching from afar with Jean and Annie, saw the Garrison troops beginning to stand down.

"He's got a point…"

"That guy might actually be on our side…"

Kitz's eyes twitched and he quickly raised his arm. "Prepare to counterattack! Do not be taken in by this clever trap!" he bellowed, causing Armin to look on in bewilderment.

"Wha…?!"

"Their behavior has always been beyond our understanding! I'm saying they could have the ability to turn into humans!" He shouted, inducing fear once again into the soldiers that surrounded the trio of cadets. "But we can't let them get away with it any longer!"

_"No good… he's given up thinking it altogether…"_ Armin said in his mind, before he noticed the paranoid expression on Kitz's face. _"He's… too scared to think!"_

"Eren… Mikasa…" Armin muttered in fear, turning back at his friends who both gave him serious looks as a sign of their faith in him, which caused the blonde teen to grit his teeth and clench his fist tightly.

Armin slammed his fist to his chest in a military salute. "AS A SOLDIER, I VOWED LONG AGO TO DEDICATE MY HEART TO THE RECOVERY OF THE HUMAN RACE! IF MY LIFE ENDS WHILE KEEPING THAT VOW, I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS!" He shouted at the very top of his voice, shocking nearly every soldier that was present, including Kitz. "But if you combine his unknown power with our remaining military force… it might even be possible to recapture this town!"

Eren and Mikasa could only look at Armin in disbelief as well, shocked that he could do something like this. He always made himself look weak and even talked down on his own abilities that they didn't know he was capable of being this way. Eren himself was almost tempted to summon Rebellion and defend Armin from the soldiers earlier, until his salute of course.

"For the glory of the human race, I beg you! In the moments I have left before I die! Let me explain his strategic value!" Armin continued to shout, while closing his eyes tightly.

Kitz narrowed his eyes and glared at the boy. _"No matter how he begs… I will follow regulations! And those who violate regulations will be eliminated!"_ He was about to give the order to fire, only for someone to grab his arm firmly in place.

"Stand down," said a deep voice.

"You never change. For a man your size, you're as delicate as a fawn. Can't you see how magnificent that boy's salute is?" said a bald man with a distinguished mustache and notable wrinkles under his eyes. He was wearing a Garrison uniform paired with a white button-up shirt and a red sash with gold trim.

Kitz turn around and his eyes widened.

"**COMMANDER PIXIS**…!"

"I just arrived, but the situation was relayed to me by a rider. As of this moment, I'm putting you in command of the reinforcements." The man then turned towards a tearful Armin and the two cadets behind him with an amused smile. "I have a feeling… it would be worth our while… to listen to what these kids have to say."

* * *

_**Well, that ends this chapter! It was fun writing this, especially towards the end hahahahaha. That bastard Kitz is too traumatized to listen to Armin, but good thing Pixis arrived to save the day! What will happen next chapter now that he's willing to listen to the trio? Tune in to find out!**_

_**I've talked about adding the DMC4 storyline here, but now I'm starting to think of how to incorporate DMC5. Vergil was a key part of that game, but since he's dead here, I'm kind of stuck on how to do the whole "V and Urizen" issue now. I thought of a crazy idea to have Eren himself separate his human and demonic sides, but that's not final. I'm still thinking about it. If you have suggestions for the DMC5 storyline, you can PM me and we'll see.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	17. Titans and Demons

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

_"The Survey Corps report predicted the titans would appear from the south. The precise location was the Shiganshina district, south of Wall Maria, where the titans broke through five years ago, and where the three of us had lived… so this was their next likely target, Trost, the district closest to Shiganshina."_

Armin, Mikasa and Eren were on too of the wall, standing just behind the man who had saved them from their unlikely demise earlier.

_"Dot Pixis is the highest-ranking commander of the southern territory, which includes Trost district."_ Armin thought to himself. _"He has been invested with full authority to defend humanity's most important districts. And… he's also known as an inveterate eccentric…"_

"Nope, still don't spot one…" Pixis muttered, looking down at the mindless titans below at the bottom of the wall. "I really wouldn't mind being eaten, as long as it was by a stunningly beautiful lady titan…"

* * *

In the streets, Kitz Woermann was looking up at the wall while still having a paranoid look on his face. _"What could the Commander be thinking?! Meeting them without guards, when we still have no idea what they are…!"_ He thought to himself, gravely confused with what Pixis had in mind.

"Captain!" One of his subordinates walked up to him and saluted. "The troops are in formation."

Kitz turned to him and saw the soldiers who were to act as reinforcements for the operation. "Ah… very good…" He then raised an eyebrow upon noticing that almost all of them had dead looks, as if they lost all hope for living.

* * *

"I see…" Pixis said, crossing his arms after hearing Eren explaining everything to him. "So it turns out… the Legend of Sparda that was once thought to be a mere bedtime story, was actually true and you've seen demons appear in this town earlier… And that Sparda had two sons, one of whom had you as their child… hence your arm is like that…?"

"Yes." Eren replied, before bringing out the key that his father left him. "But that's only one thing. My father… the one who took me in… left me this key. He told me to go back to my house's basement and use this key… he said the basement was the answer to everything, after that he injected a serum into me that turned me into a titan… but I wasn't affected for long because of what I am… and he even knew about Sparda… which leads me to believe that the basement holds the answers to both titans and demons alike." Of course, he made sure not to tell anything about what was beyond the walls, since that was a secret mission given to him by Dante in order to solve by himself.

Upon hearing that Eren transformed into a titan, Mikasa and Armin widened their eyes in shock. He never told them about that. How Eren wasn't looking like a gigantic monster right now was a miracle itself. Mikasa considered asking Eren what exactly happened but she trusted him enough to have faith in his words.

"So you have the desire to go to this basement and get the answers you seek…?" Pixis asked again, as he seemed to understand what Eren explained.

"I do." He replied, looking down. Oh, he hoped that he was making sense right now and sounded convincing at the same time as well. "Can you believe me, sir?"

"Hmm…" the commander hummed to himself. "Well, assuming you are talking about that basement, you yourself don't have proof that those answers you believe in can be found there… so I think I'll just keep it filed away in my head for now." He then turned towards the three cadets. "Still… I expect I'll be able to get to the bottom of it, by and by. 'Til then, I'll personally guarantee your safety."

Pixis turned his attention solely towards Armin as the blonde teen looked intimidated with the commander staring directly at him. "Trainee Armin… is it?" he asked.

"Yes, sir!" he quickly saluted.

"Earlier, you mentioned that if we used the 'unknown power' or what-have-you, it would be possible to recapture this town, Trost district… Do you really believe that? Or were you just desperate to stay alive?"

Armin looked speechless for a few moments before speaking. "It was… both, sir…" Eren and Mikasa turned towards their friend, slightly confused. "What I tried to say then… is that Eren could use his right arm to carry that boulder over to the destroyed gate, and plug it up." Armin explained, pointing to the huge boulder that was placed near the riverway before he looked down. "It's just a thought that occurred to me, because I saw Eren able to lift even titans with his arm… but I was hoping the captain would at least sense the possibility that the power Eren possesses could help us get out of our current predicament…" Armin then looked up with nervous smile on his face. "Of course, I was also desperate to save our lives… and…?"

He didn't continue any further as Pixis now turned towards Eren and knelt down to the same level as the white-haired teen. "Trainee Eren…"

Eren already had a good idea of what he was going to ask.

"_Can_ you plug up that hole?" asked Pixis.

The white-haired teen looked down at his arm for a few seconds before he grinned, clenching his fist afterwards. "Armin's idea was exactly my plan while I was fighting against the titans and the demons earlier…" he muttered. "And… it was thanks to this arm… that I was able to save my mom…" He looked up at Pixis with a determined face before saluting. "I'll seal the gate, sir! And I'll save this town, no matter what…!"

Armin and Mikasa were left staring at him, slightly taken aback with his answer. He seemed quite confident in himself, which was typical of him, but to have so much in it… especially since he didn't even know if he could really lift up that boulder…

Pixis smiled and slammed his hands on the teen's shoulders like a proud father. "Well said! You're a real man, my boy!" He then stood up and looked down into the streets belong before shouting. "Where's my council?! Let's work out a strategy!"

"Wha…?!" Armin was terribly confused, with his eyes telling the story. "But… right now…?! It was just an idealistic notion I had… the commander means to carry it out now…?!"

"Armin," Eren called out which earned the attention of his two friends. "It's fine… the sooner I can plug up that hole, the less titans we have worrying about. And add to that, if the demons appear again…" He then looked towards Pixis, who was greeted by two soldiers who seemed to be his subordinates. "But before we head on with the plan… we have a more fundamental problem… Commander Pixis sees the situation correctly. The titans and demons aren't our only enemy right now…" Eren narrowed his eyes and looked at the town beyond the inner wall.

Armin could only raise an eyebrow. "What…?"

The three were approached by Pixis, who was with his two escorts namely **ANKA **and **GUSTAV**, before he spoke.

"Every minute counts here. You're going to be heroes… young soldiers." He said, looking towards Eren, Mikasa and Armin.

* * *

The news of a strategy to take back Trost from the titans quickly spread like wildfire to the soldiers in the streets, as countless murmurs and chattering filled the whole place. Some were dumbfounded that there was such a plan, while some were traumatized about having to go back into that titan-infested place, and a few of them were mad about the higher-ups giving orders that would only lead to their deaths.

"A plan to take back Trost?!"

"How?!"

"You gotta be kidding! How can we do that, when we don't even have the technology to seal that hole…?!"

"What are they thinking?! Sending us back into Trost district is nothing but a death sentence!"

"As long as we can't plug that hole… all we can do is die defending Wall Rose…"

"Damn it… do the Commanders want glory that bad?"

Daz looked down, his face trembling from hearing of a plan to take back Trost from the titans' control. "Back… to that hell?" He then let out a frightened squeak, holding his head with both his hands. "No! I don't wanna die! I wanna see my family!"

"Daz! Keep it down!" Marco, who was beside him, was trying his best to console the traumatized soldier of his fears.

"Hey, you over there!" A commanding officer of the Garrison then stormed down to where Daz was. "I heard that! Do you intend abandon your duty, soldier?!"

"Yes, I do!" Daz shouted with tears in his eyes. "Us committing mass suicide won't accomplish anything!"

"What about humanity, boy… what about discipline?!" The officer said, pulling out one of his swords. "You know, I have the authority to execute you where you stand!"

"Go ahead…" Daz continued to cry, before pulling out one of his swords as well. "It's a hundred times better than being eaten by a titan…"

Daz's outburst caused more murmurs to occur within the soldiers in the area, as they looked on in both surprise and sympathy for the poor guy.

"Hey… did you hear that…?"

"I don't blame him, given the situation…"

In another part of the crowd of soldiers, Jean Kirstein stayed quiet and listened to two other female cadets who were also afraid of going back into Trost.

"You think someone over here will disobey too…?"

"Even I'd like to at least choose how I die…"

"Hey, you!" A Garrison soldier approached one of the girls, who looked afraid of his serious demeanor as he might have heard her talking about disobeying orders.

"Ah… I-I was only kidding…" she started to sweat nervously, until she heard what the man said.

"Do it!" he exclaimed with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Eh?!"

"Make a big scene! With as many people as possible! Many of us in the Garrison aren't happy with the way things are run, either! We can take advantage of the chaos and get out of here!"

It was then that Jean decided to voice out his curiosity, finally speaking up. "Get out of here and go where, sir?" he asked.

The man flashed a hopeful smile. "I'm gonna go see my daughter! Whether we're here or not, that gate's comin' down!" he said, as if he had lost all hope for humanity to be victorious against the titans.

* * *

Eren and Pixis were walking along the top of the wall, with the white-haired teen following closely behind the commander as they discussed about the Dark Knight Sparda even further. It appeared that Pixis was quite curious about the demon's mindset, considering the fact that he was an _actual_ demon.

"I'm intrigued that Sparda even fought for humanity, as the legend goes…" Pixis said, with his hands behind him. "We're told that before the titans took over the land… human beings were constantly murdering each other over tribal disputes and ideologies. With that, I must say that Sparda must have a foolish mind to think that humans cannot be considered monsters themselves."

Although he was supposed to be arguing that what his grandfather did was the right thing, Eren could only find himself nodding in response. "I agree. Humans can be as bad as demons if they choose to be, perhaps even worse. Although I don't really know his exact reason on why he did what he did." he said with narrowed eyes.

Pixis nodded, understanding Eren's response. "Back then, someone supposedly said… if a powerful, non-human enemy appeared, humanity would probably unite and stop fighting itself. It could have been Sparda himself who said those words… what's your opinion, son?"

"I've never heard of that before…" Eren frowned. "But… I think it's pretty stupid. Frankly, it's dull. Even now, when that 'powerful enemy' has driven us into a corner… along with a new one… we are far from united." he explained, thinking about both the titans and demons.

"Your personality's just as twisted as mine." Pixis chuckled for a moment, before regaining a serious look. "Indeed, it's as you say… but I believe if we don't all come together soon… even continuing to fight may be too much for us…"

Hannes, who was still looking down at the titans at the bottom of the wall with his squad, looked to the side and immediately took notice of Eren, who seemed to have caught sight of him as well.

_"Eren?! He's safe?!"_ Hannes thought, before he saw Eren frowning and pointing his finger downwards. _"Mm? Is he saying I should focus on my duty?!"_ He turned back to watching the titans with a scowl. _"Little shit… I'm his superior officer…! But from his demeanor, I guess Mikasa and Armin are alright, too…"_ It was just now that the blonde man noticed who Eren was walking with, and he was right behind them. _"What's going on? Why… is Eren standing right next to the commander?!"_

"Ahem…"

Eren was tempted to move away when he saw Pixis taking a deep breath, but decided against it. _"Should I cover my ears…? He looks really serious about it…"_ he tried to ask himself, but it was too late.

"ATTENTIOOOOON!"

A loud cry from atop the wall was surprisingly enough to gain the attention of all the soldiers down below, causing some to break off their thoughts about escaping their duty and running away from the titans. At the top of the wall stood the Chief Commander of the Garrison and another cadet beside him.

"Before I explain the strategy to recapture Trost district, allow me to tell you all a bedtime story!" Pixis shouted out. "A story so boring because you've heard of it hundreds of times and will make you sleep one way or another!"

_"He's going to reveal it now?" _Eren quickly realized that the commander was really going for it, and he could only hope for the best.

"More than a thousand years ago, before all of you were born and before the walls were created, there was war between many of the different tribes of humanity! Humans made enemies with themselves! But then came a bigger threat than any of them could imagine! Demons from the Underworld!"

There were various whispers among the soldiers regarding why the commander was telling them this, even some of the Garrison officers. Most of them already know about this particular legend, since it was quite popular within the walls and somehow gave hope to people that they too, will triumph against the enemy.

"But then, one demon shed light in humanity's future! The Dark Knight Sparda rebelled against his own kind and he alone banished all of the demons back into their world! From then on, he was known as a legend! A good bedtime story, isn't it?! Enough to make you sleep!" What happened next sent waves of disbelief towards all of the soldiers below. "Well, it's not! The Legend of Sparda is in fact, a real tale of a demon saving humanity from his own kind! Sparda is real! Demons are real! And the demons… are our enemy as much as the titans are!"

Various murmurs started filling up the streets again but this time, even the military officers down below have joined in. They were wondering what good will this nonsense do given their present situation. Although there were some who were listening closely and figured that there was more to this than what they might suspect.

"What the hell is the Commander talking about?"

"Demons? What does that have to do with our situation right now?"

"What is the Commander doing? There's no time for his games right now!"

"The legend doesn't end there, as much as we believed it did!" Pixis continued, which pretty much silenced every soldier below. "After thousands of years of protecting humanity, Sparda eventually settled down and made a family of his own! He bore two sons whose names were Dante and Vergil! Both inherited the power of their father, however they have clashed their blades many times because of a bitter rivalry between siblings! It took years for them to settle their differences, but they finally reached an impasse in the end! Dante dedicated the rest of his life to eradicating demons, while Vergil settled down and had a family of his own!"

He then gestured towards Eren, who answered with a salute and stood straight for everyone down below to see him.

"I want to introduce you to Eren Yeager of the Training Corps! He is the only son of Vergil, and the grandson of the Dark Knight Sparda! He carries the blood of a demon in his body, and he will be the one to seal the hole in Trost district!"

Everyone down below was naturally in a state of disbelief, but it was the cadets of the 104th who were the ones who were most affected of this revelation.

"Wha-?! E…Eren?!" Krista's eyes went wide in shock.

"What?!" Jean shouted out loud.

"Hey… I must've misheard the Commander just now… or am I just an idiot?! Well?!" Connie turned towards Ymir with a nervous expression on his face.

"Keep your trap shut for a minute… idiot." Ymir frowned at him before looking up again.

"He will use his right arm to pick up the boulder near the gate… carry it over, and use it to block the hole!" Pixis continued to explain, just as Eren raised his demonic arm for all of the soldiers to see. "Soldiers, your task is to protect him from the other titans… and possible demons… while he's carrying the rock!"

* * *

While Pixis was briefing everybody else below, a small group of soldiers were gather at a considerable distance away from them.

"We won't need to engage the titans?" asked Gustav in curiosity.

"S-Sorry. A trainee has no business cutting into the conversation…" Armin apologized, looking down in shame.

"No, that's all right. Go on." He urged the blonde teen to continue on, and Armin remained silent for a few more moments before finally giving in, taking a deep breath.

"Since titans react to and pursue groups of people… we can use that to our advantage, placing a large number of troops to lure many titans far away from the gate. That way, the majority of the soldiers won't need to have direct contact with the titans, and we'll keep them clear of Eren. Later on, we can use our cannons to take them down, thereby minimizing casualties. Still, we can't afford to leave Eren defenseless, so I think a small squad of crack troops should be there to protect him while he carries the boulder. And nevertheless, there's no way to avoid fighting the titans that come through the hole… overcoming the problem depends on the skills of that A-list squad. Eren himself can help with eliminating titans, but that will halt the operation temporarily."

"All right, got it… let's revise the plan based on your ideas." Gustav nodded, understanding Armin's plan.

Armin sighed. "The only thing is…"

"Demons… could… also appear…" Mikasa said, speaking for the first time ever since she got there. Truth be told, she was still a bit shaken from what happened earlier with them when they were surrounded and she actually thought she would die, so she needed time to recompose herself. Now she was starting to get herself back together.

Armin only nodded, agreeing with Mikasa.

And then silence followed after that. Why were they only talking about titans now that they were aware that there was another threat they needed to worry about? Gustav only looked down, as he didn't know any possible answer to that and neither did Armin. They didn't really know anything about demons since Eren was the only one who had information about those creatures.

"What…What were demons like…?" Anka spoke, turning to Armin with a curious expression.

"I'm not… I'm not sure…" Armin actually thought he had a pretty good idea of an answer to her question, but it wasn't. "I've only seen one kind of demon so far… but I'm sure they're not the only ones…" With that, Gustav, Anka and Mikasa all looked at him with wide eyes as if they were asking him for answers.

"W-What did they look like?" Gustav asked with a frown. If demons were going to be considered their enemy now, they must know what their appearance is.

"Hideous," Armin replied as he remembered how Eren fought off the scarecrows earlier. "I'm not really sure what they looked like exactly… but they had blades for their arms and legs. Unlike the titans, they lay waste to everything in their path… but their primary target seems to be Eren from what I remember. He called them 'scarecrows'."

Gustav's frown deepened, looking terribly conflicted. "From how you described them, they might be as terrifying and unkillable as the titans then…"

"Actually, they're not." That caused the three other soldiers around Armin to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "When Eren fought against them earlier, they were easily killed without him breaking a sweat. The problem would be is if they attacked in a group… there was a horde that appeared earlier and at one point, I thought Eren was going to be overwhelmed."

"Then that means… we can fight them?" Mikasa asked.

"I'm still not sure, we need Eren to answer that himself." Armin shook his head, before looking down. "He can surely handle scarecrows if he sees them, but the plan is predicated on Eren carrying the rock and plugging the hole. More so if something worse than the scarecrows show up. Since we have no guarantees of scarecrows or other demons appearing and become another threat, I have doubts about the operation."

Gustav took a deep breath as his frown disappeared, looking calmer than he was earlier. "It's natural to feel some doubt sending hundreds of troops to their likely deaths when the core of the strategy is uncertain… but I can understand where Commander Pixis is coming from." He explained, taking a quick glance at his superior officer. "One factor is time. Even as we speak, the titans are spilling through the hole. We'll have no practical hope of retaking the town once it's filled with titans. Besides that, the longer we wait, the higher the probability that Wall Rose will be breached, too. And there's one more reason."

He looked towards the soldiers down below, with the other soldiers around him doing the same thing as they understood what Gustav was trying to say.

"There's a limit to how far people can be pushed by fear alone…"

* * *

"Lift up that enormous stone…" The officer said, a dumbfounded look taking over his face as he listened to Pixis' words before turning his attention to the boy beside him. "Is that even possible…? Can that trainee even pull something like that off?!"

"It's a lie!" Daz cried out in denial while shaking his head repeatedly. "You expect me to give up my life for some nonsense like that?! What do you take us for?! We're… We're not disposable blades!"

Unfortunately, Daz's outburst had attracted the attention of many soldiers in return, making them all feel the same thing towards Pixis' so-called 'strategy', if it was even like that in the first place. Jean, who was just among those soldiers, could only look on and was unable to do anything. He didn't even know if he should go along with them or not.

"A human weapon, huh?"

"They probably figured most of us would believe that crap… how dumb do they think we are?"

"A kid lifting up a boulder… what a joke…"

"Hey, wait! Deserters will get killed!" The officer present at that area tried restoring order, to no avail. More soldiers were getting convinced about walking away from their duty.

"They expect us to stay here and die? Count me out!"

"Me too!"

"M-Me too…"

The commanding officers down below could only watch as more soldiers followed, lessening and lessening the troops who remained in formation. They didn't do anything at first because as much as they hated it, they sympathized with what the soldiers felt about what Pixis said to all of them.

"Hey… at this rate… we'll lose all discipline!"

"Oh, man…"

"Damn it…"

Kitz was the first to step forward and call out to the soldiers who were walking away, pulling out on of his blades. "I hope you're prepared to die, traitors! Right now! I'll cut you down before you take another step!" he screamed out.

"UP ON MY ORDER!" Pixis shouted again, enough that it was heard even by the soldiers who were leaving. "Anyone who leaves right now will go unpunished!"

"Wha—?!" Kitz turned to his superior with a look of disbelief on his face.

"If you have given in to your fear of the titans, you will never be able to stand against them again! Anyone who has succumbed to terror of the titans should leave this place! And…!"

His next words managed to get through the soldiers and made them stop in their tracks.

"Anyone who wants their parents, siblings, and loved ones to feel that same terror for themselves… should leave as well!"

The Garrison soldier from earlier widened his eyes as he could picture it; his daughter being taken right before him by a titan and he was powerless to do anything about it.

"That's the one thing… I won't… let them do… because my daughter… is my last hope." As he spoke those words, the soldiers began walking back towards their comrades, with the Commander's words leaving an impact on them and their love for their families and friends.

* * *

_"I don't know if my arm is strong enough to pick up that rock…" _Eren thought to himself, looking down at his demonic arm. _"I know I'm able to overpower titans with this… still, I might need to activate that _**Devil Trigger** _Dante was talking about_ _to be sure, especially if demons are gonna appear… although the question is…"_ he frowned upon remembering what he went through that led him to activating that power of his. _"Can I do that on command…? The last two times I've gone into that state was because I got stabbed by my sword…"_

"Trainee Yeager shall prove to all of you that he indeed carries the blood of the Dark Knight Sparda in his veins!" Pixis shouted, which caused Eren to look at him in surprise as a response. "I know it is hard and unlikely for every single soldier out there to believe that such a myth about demons is real! Therefore, he will show all of you it exists!" The Commander turned to Eren and gave a nod of approval.

_"Why do this? Isn't my arm enough proof to show the legend is true? What is the commander thinking…?"_ Eren said internally, still looking at Pixis with a confused expression before he turned to the soldiers below. They all had their eyes towards him, and it was either they couldn't see his right arm up close, or they were overlooking it, which got the white-haired teen to narrow his eyes. _"I get it now… the commander wants me to show it to everyone… in a direct way that all of them can see it."_ He turned back to Pixis and nodded in understanding, before looking at his arm that was clenched into a fist. _"I have no idea if this will work… but screw it, I'll give it a shot…"_

Eren closed his eyes and threw his **Devil Bringer **up into the air, and almost immediately a blue aura covered his whole body and started making his white hair levitate. The giant spectral demon appeared behind him, his eyes turned red and his right arm glowed brightly. Eren slowly lowered down his arm and looked at his own self, intrigued and amazed that he managed to activate this ability at will.

_"I never thought I'd actually be able to do this on command…" _Eren said to himself in amazement. _"So this form makes me stronger…? I wonder why Dante never taught me how to properly activate this."_ He frowned, remembering just now that his uncle never really taught him anything about the **Devil Trigger**, except mentioning it just one time, when he stabbed himself to awaken his powers.

Pixis himself had widened his eyes upon seeing what the young man just did, and he even took a few steps back out of disbelief. _"What power…"_ He already believed Eren in his claim about Sparda and demons being factual but now that was seeing it, even he couldn't hold in his confusion, interest, and curiosity all at the same time.

Armin and the others were also able to witness it and although they saw Eren in that state earlier, him and Mikasa weren't able to stop their jaws from dropping now that they are seeing it first-hand. Anka literally fell on her butt in slight fear from the spectral demon that was behind Eren, but Gustav helped her up and even calmed her down. Mikasa couldn't say anything apart from she was wide-eyed like everybody else although she was just slightly worried if Eren really knew what he was doing right now.

"T-This is…" Armin breathed out, struggling to calm himself. He was apparently wrong about Eren being a full-blooded demon, but what he was showing right now made it look like he really was. "...Eren's true power…"

* * *

Gasps and words of disbelief filled the streets below, and just the sight of Eren's **Devil Trigger** form was enough to draw out fear from the soldiers. Some of them once again considered leaving, this time it was because of the boy atop the wall instead of the titans. Other soldiers resorted to sticking together as if it was a way to stay courageous while some tried, but only weakly managed to raise their blades in preparation to 'take care' of a new threat.

"That boy…" Kitz breathed out, before gritting his teeth. He was right all along about the kid being a monster. "Commander! Get out of there before that monster kills you!" he tried to scream out, only for his fellow officers to tell him to be quiet.

"What… What the hell is this…? That's… what Eren really is…?" Connie gulped nervously, even he couldn't keep up with what was happening.

"He has the blood of a demon, huh…" Originally, Ymir had a look of shock on her face upon seeing what Eren transformed into before regaining her unamused expression. "Never thought that old story was actually real…"

"You think?" Krista looked back at her friend in confusion, before her eyes looked terribly worried about something. "I'm actually scared now… w-what if… w-what if we suddenly end up fighting both the titans _and _demons? We might not be able to make it out alive."

"If that happens, I'll protect you." Ymir flashed Krista the usual smile she gave the blonde girl.

"Demons… are real…" Jean muttered out, finding himself staring at the spectral demon that was blazing behind Eren. The legend of the Dark Knight Sparda was actually a story his mother would usually read to him before sleeping during his childhood and at one point, Jean imagined what would it be like if demons really existed.

"Eren… is a demon…?" Sasha mused to herself, looking up at the white-haired teen atop the wall. For some reason, she wasn't as scared as the other soldiers who were practically about to shit themselves out of fear. All she did was repeat that particular question in her mind, like as if she was telling herself that the Eren she came to know about during their days in the military camp until now, was a completely different person than she had thought.

"Demons… exist…? W-What…?" Reiner stood with Bertholdt and Annie, and the three cadets all shared the same look of shock on their faces.

* * *

After a good minute of remaining in his newfound form, Eren decided to put an end to it. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the aura that coated his body disappeared. The spectral demon from behind him was already gone and as he opened his eyes, they were back to being emerald in color.

The white-haired teen to the Commander, who was still staring at him in bewilderment. Eren managed to snap him out of it by saluting and then bowing his head, forcing Pixis to clear his throat to regain composure and then once again facing the mass number of soldiers below.

"And that, soldiers… is your proof!" Pixis shouted out, which amazingly brought everyone else out of their own trances and back into reality. "Demons do exist! And so do the titans! If we don't come together as one against both of those threats, humanity will be wiped in the blink of an eye!" He gestured towards Eren again. "Trainee Yeager willingly seeks to help humanity to face not only the titans, but the demons as well! Now… are _you_ willing to fulfill your role as soldiers, in the face of humanity's enemies?!"

The attention was brought back from Eren towards Pixis as the men below; cadet, officer, and superior officer alike, contemplated about his words. But that didn't last long for Pixis had begun to speak once more.

"Let's talk about what happened four years ago! About the operation to reclaim Wall Maria! I don't think I need to remind you of it… 'operation to reclaim' sounds good, doesn't it?! But it was really just a way for an overburned government to reduce the number of umemployed they had to feed! What no one dares to say is that we have been able to survive within the wall's narrow confines… because your brothers and sisters in arms were forced to go outside of it! That sin belongs to all of humanity, including me!"

The conflicted looks on the soldiers' faces started to slowly to morph into serious expressions by now.

"The residents of Wall Maria were a minority, so an open war never broke out! But what about next time?! If Wall Rose is breached, it won't be nearly enough to sacrifice 20% of the population! Behind our final barrer, Wall Sina, we could only afford to feed half of the world's surviving human beings!"

What came next was the final nail in the coffin, as the desire to take back Trost district from the titans grew and grew inside the soldiers' minds. Their blades were raised and ready for battle, the looks on their faces signified that they were prepared to dedicate their hearts, and their gazes showed their determination despite all.

"If humanity dies out, it won't be because of the titans or demons! It will be because we annihilated each other! We cannot die inside yet another wall! Given the choice… DIE HERE!"

It was the beginning of the operation to reclaim Trost district from the titans.

* * *

_**Damn, what a long one! This took time because I was hyped to see Chapter 124 of the manga, but since now I know what it's all about, I have no reason to get hyped anymore lol. Okay now, Eren has finally revealed to everyone properly, in his Devil Trigger no less, his true heritage and as well as the truth about the existence of demons. Thank Pixis for adding it in his inspirational speech. Next chapter, we start the operation to take back Trost from titan control. Can Eren really carry the rock towards the gate and seal it? He most likely can, but then again, titans are in the way and demons can also appear too… tune in next chapter! :)**_

_**Thanks to Sunwolf27, the plan for the DMC5 arc is now set and I finally have a premise for it. It's gonna be a while before this arc happens because it's supposed to be 5 years after DMC4. But since we already have a timeskip in AOT, I think you all know when it will happen. Really dude, thank you for helping me out. You're the first to do so.**_

_**Suggestions are welcome, just PM me.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	18. Struggle

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

_**Happy holidays everyone! Enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

Three squads ran along the top of the wall along with a certain white-haired demon, keeping their attention on the boulder that was near the gate. They were all equipped with their gears and prepared for combat. The orders were given to them, now it was up to them to execute the operation. The fate of humanity inside the walls rests upon them… especially towards a certain white-haired demon moving with the squads.

"Eren… how do you feel?" asked Ian Dietrich, as he led the small squadron of troops to their intended destination.

"I'm alright… never better actually." Eren answered, before a smile of relief appeared on his face. "It feels like I've gotten something really heavy off my chest…"

"That happens when you finally reveal something you've been hiding for so long, and I have to say, what the Commander said was probably the least I expected from him…" he then turned towards Eren. "But if you're going to plug up that hole, then I don't care what you are… protecting you is my top priority. We're all counting on you!"

"Roger that!" Eren nodded.

"We've almost reached the shortest route to the rock. Looks like there aren't any titans around at the moment… good sign that everyone else is successfully luring them away."

"There are… no demons around either… it's all free for the taking…!" Eren observed the giant boulder from afar, looking out if there were any possible demons around, whether they were scarecrows or something worse. Once he was sure that the coast was clear, Eren had narrowed his eyes in all seriousness. _"Ever since those titans appeared… humanity hasn't beaten them, not once… with them always advancing… and humanity always retreating… we've been stripped of all but a sliver of our territory. Now those demons… whom my family spent years eliminating… they're threatening us even further with their presence. But when this operation succeeds… it'll be the first time we've taken our land back!"_

"Here!" Ian screamed out, jumping off the wall with the others following closely behind. "Let's go!"

_"And in that moment… for the first time…"_ Eren jumped off the wall after Ian, a grin forming on his face. _"We'll triumph over the titans!" _Firing his gear, he traversed through the streets towards the rock with everyone else, with Mikasa flying right beside him. Noticing her, he flashed a quick smirk before zooming past all of them so he could reach the rock first. _"Compared to what's been taken from humanity… it may be a small thing. But it will mean we've finally managed…"_ Flying over a building, the boulder finally came into view as Eren reached out for it while still in the air, with its giant ethereal form growing large enough to be able to grasp the whole thing, causing the teen's smirk to turn into a smile. _"...an attack on the titans!"_

The other soldiers landed on the buildings surrounded the boulder, but only Mikasa was standing on the one that was the nearest to it. _"By… human standards… I think… that rock is too heavy… to be lifted up that way…" _she thought, watching Eren land on the ground as he tried to carry the boulder with his demonic arm. _"But… we're all… counting on Eren…"_

_"Damn… this was harder than I thought…!" _Eren already had sweat running down his face, as he struggled to get the rock off the ground. However, the only thing he managed to do was drag it along the ground for a few centimeters before he stopped, realizing that doing that will take more time. _"If this takes any longer, I'll have no choice but to use my other form…! Those titans on the other side of this town won't stay there forever!"_ he thought, putting more effort in lifting up the rock only to freeze in place when he felt about a dozen familiar presences forming behind him. Turning his head around, he saw a horde of scarecrows hopping on the ground and were all looking at him as though he was the target, and he was.

"CRAP!" he shouted, letting go of the rock as he faced his enemies, quipping Rebellion in the process. He quickly looked back at the buildings where the squads were, and from their expressions alone, he could tell that they were seeing the scarecrows before their very eyes. "The demons are here! I can't lift up the boulder with them in my way!" He made sure to scream loud enough for them to hear before he charged towards the demons with fire in his eyes.

* * *

On the other side of the district, many of the soldiers were gathered atop the wall, surveying the titans down below. However, there were some who were using their ODM gear to act as bait for the titans, and let's just say that a few of them don't turn out too well. It was most likely that their total number had already exceeded a hundred, and that was only going to increase further should this operation take longer.

"Somehow, we've managed to get most of the titans into this corner of the town…" said Gustav, briefing the situation to his commander. "...but despite making every effort to avoid engaging them… we lost approximately 20% of our soldiers."

"We didn't lose them." said Pixis as he looked at his subordinate, before he started walking along the wall.

"Sir?"

"The soldiers didn't die of their own volition. They were sent to their deaths by my order. At this moment, our race is on the brink of extinction… To give humanity a chance to survive… I'm willing to become a butcher…"

* * *

Upon seeing Eren facing off the demons, a switch flicked inside Mikasa as she quickly jumped off the rooftop and fired her gear to come to the white-haired teen's aid.

"Hey!" Ian shouted, snapping out of his trance when he heard the sound of an ODM gear. "Mikasa, don't! Get away before you get caught in it!"

The sound of gear whizzing through the air was enough for Eren to temporarily turn his head, and he immediately saw Mikasa landing on the ground with her blades drawn, prepared for battle. Eren's eyes widened as he quickly shook his head repeatedly to prevent the girl from going any further.

"Mikasa, get out of here! These things could kill you!" He warned her, blocking one of the scarecrows' blades with his sword but his words only fell on deaf ears.

_"I… need to help… Eren… even if I have to risk my life…!"_ she thought, walking up towards the nearest demon while taking a deep breath, drawing her blades in the process. Of course, these creatures weren't titans, so flying around using the gear in order to find an opening won't be effective. It'll have to be settled through an old way of settling differences.

When one of the scarecrows finally noticed her, it hopped rather quickly towards the girl and spun around so that its blade can get to her. Mikasa narrowed her eyes and stayed in her place for a few moments, and when the scarecrow had stopped spinning around, she quickly moved in and drove her twin swords into the monster's body, causing it to wriggle around and screech before disappearing into a swarm of insects.

Eren along with all of the other soldiers present there saw this, and they widened their eyes upon what they witnessed. Mikasa Ackerman just killed a demon on her own, using only her ODM blades no less.

Not wasting any time, Mikasa advanced further and killed a few more of them, dodging the scarecrows' every attempt to hit her gracefully before moving in for the kill. There were some that jumped up into the air and tried bringing down their blades on her, but the girl simply moved to the side every time and continued with her attacks. Thanks to this, many of the demons that had surrounded Eren turned their attention to her and decreasing the number of them that focused on him.

"It's… working…!" she said, managing to lure away the scarecrows away from Eren and towards her. Of course, this particular fact didn't matter to her and she kept on fighting every demon around her, left and right. However, even someone like her with remarkable combat skills couldn't possibly handle the sheer number of enemies that surrounded her from all sides that she couldn't even replace her blades when she noticed her swords becoming blunt.

"We can't leave her there!" Ian shouted to his comrades, but none of them could move from their places, as though they have seen something as horrifying as the titans, well except for the short white-haired girl who looked conflicted. "Rico!" he called out to her, as she was about to pull out a flare gun.

Mikasa wasn't exactly doing well, only barely managing to avoid the scarecrows as they each spun their blades to attack her as a whole group. She considered using her gear to fly out of there, but that would go against her plan to get the demons away from Eren.

"I… need to hold them off… for as long as I can…!" she struggled to say, forcing her senses to function in all directions to be able to handle the demons advancing upon her. When one had sneaked up behind her, Mikasa cried out in pain as its bladed leg made a cut on her palm, and forcing her to drop one of her swords. Her eyes widened in fear as the scarecrows closing in on her before a massive ethereal fist swept the demons away from her.

Eren quickly reached out for Mikasa the moment the area between them was clear of the demons, pulling her towards him before carrying her to the top of the boulder where he set her down before using her scarf to wrap the little cut on her palm to prevent it from bleeding.

"You okay?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I've… been better…" she said in a low tone, turning her head away from him. Some plan she had. She nearly got herself killed, and she didn't even truly get the demons' attention away from Eren. With her wounded, she wasn't sure that she could be any helpful now.

"Look, I appreciate the help Mikasa…" Eren said in a sympathetic tone, before glancing at the demons that surrounded this giant rock. "But this is way too dangerous for you. Join the others in taking out any titan that comes in our direction, your abilities are more suited for that."

"But… these demons… there are too many of them…" Mikasa turned back to him with a worried look that made Eren sigh.

"I can take them, there's no need for you to worry about me. But I can't do that, when I'm worrying for _your_ safety." He drew Rebellion and prepared to fight the demons again. "Go and deal with the titans like what the squad leader told you to do. I'll deal with these bastards first and carry this giant rock after."

As he said those words, Ian had flown to the rock with them, helping Mikasa get back to her feet before he looked at Eren with a serious expression despite what he felt inside from being near these demons.

"Eren," he began. "Make sure to eliminate every single one of these creatures and carry on with the operation. More titans are getting inside the gate with every minute passing by and our troops won't last forever."

Eren could only nod as both him and Mikasa flew away, but not before the girl giving him one last look of worry before finally leaving. Now that that was out of the way, he turned back to the demons and pointed his sword at them. "Time for round two, you fuckers!" He gave a battle cry and jumped down into the horde of scarecrows with a furious look.

From the top of the building with the other members of the squad, Rico pulled out her flare gun and gritted her teeth at the sight of the demons down below. "The mission's failed!" She fired a red flare into the sky. "I knew it… there was no chance of succeeding in the first place!"

Ian, with Mikasa right beside him, turned one last time at Eren fighting the demons before regrouping with his subordinates. "With the number of those… demons surrounding him, the operation can't proceed as planned. It would take him more time to seal the gate with this!"

"Can he really handle those monsters by himself?" A soldier with a distinct beard whose name was **MITABI**, commented.

"Squad Leader Ian!"

Alarmed, the aforementioned man immediately turned his head to the one troop who was shouting from a distance.

"Two titans are approaching the front gate! A 10-meter and a 6-meter class!" The man pointed to the direction behind him. "There's one more coming up from behind! And we've got a 12-meter class heading this way!"

Mitabi and Rico quickly walked up towards Ian with serious expressions on their faces, yet if looked upon closely, there was also a hint of desperation in it. "Ian! We're pulling out!" the bearded man spoke. "Having the kid block the gate is the last thing we have to worry about right now!"

"Yeah… it pains me to say it, but we gotta leave him here…" Rico said with remorse.

Upon hearing their pleas to fall back and retreat, Mikasa turned her head to look at them slowly, with both confusion and shock in her face. Why… Why would they say those words? Do they… Do they not care about what happens to Eren if he remains here by himself?

Ian didn't fail to notice this as he too, was taken aback with the course of action his subordinates were suggesting to happen.

* * *

"Confirming Alpha Squad's red smoke flare…" Anka said, using a telescope to get a good view of the smoke that originated from the other side of the district. Beside her was Pixis and with them, were the different commanders and leaders of the Garrison, overseeing the nature of how things were going on. "Apparently, a serious problem interfered with the operation."

Daz was sitting just behind them, with his hand covering his face in despair yet again. "Damn…" he mumbled to himself. "Our comrades… died for nothing… was it all a waste…?" Pixis appeared to have heard him as he slightly glanced to the traumatized man, before turning his attention back ahead of him.

"Commander Pixis… we should return them immediately to gate defense." Hannes voiced, a little bit worried for both Mikasa and Eren. Those two were just kids, and they were on the front line battling against monsters that humanity feared above all. It shouldn't be that way, especially when he was supposed to be someone whom they looked up to. "Shall I give the order?"

"No," Pixis shook his head.

"Shall I give the order for Alpha Squad to withdraw?" asked Anka.

"Negative. Keep the titans in the corner of town with our 'lures'. As for the Alpha Squad, the leader is authorized to evacuate should he feels the situation is truly out of hand." He then narrowed his eyes slightly. "Except, they are not only highly skilled. They're the best of the best. And they've been entrusted with the fate of the human race… Giving up so easily would be unacceptable. What we can do to ensure that the slain soldiers didn't die in vain… is keep up the struggle for as long as we're alive."

Armin stood with his fellow cadets, acting as reinforcements and rescue should Alpha Squad succeed in pulling off the plan. All of them of course, took notice of the red smoke flare shooting up into the sky, and they were no fools in order _not_ to understand what that meant.

"The red smoke flare…"

"Did they fail…?" Marco muttered to himself.

"How…?" Armin asked himself. _"Eren… Mikasa… what happened…?"_

"Huh?" Marco was confused when Armin suddenly prepared his gear before running away from their group, his blonde hair shadowing over his eyes. "Armin?!"

* * *

"Hey! What's there to think about?! Just give the order!" Mitabi said, with his voice now having a clear hint of desperation within it. "Ian! It's not your fault! Right from the start, this plan was iffy at best. Everybody knew that. Sure, it was worth a try, but it's obviously not working!" Him and Rico were about to turn away, but not before giving Ian one last look. "All right? We're going to climb up the walls with our squads!"

"You two…" Mikasa mumbled out in a very low tone, with her hair covering her eyes. The other three soldiers actually gulped slightly, afraid that the girl was somehow deeply affected with this and they didn't know how she would react. However, that changed when she looked up as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "Do you not care about what happens to Eren…? He's out there fighting… fighting for humanity and… this is how soldiers like you act…?" she choked out, pointing towards Eren's direction with her sword before clenching her fists tight. "While he's fighting… you run away…?"

Rico gritted her teeth. It's not really as if she was trying to run away from this. Truth be told, she would rather stay and continue on but there was no guarantee of this plan's success, and she didn't want to lose more of her comrades. So she was undergoing a bit of an internal conflict right now. Meanwhile, Mitabi actually narrowed his eyes, having taken Mikasa's words as an insult to his self-esteem. But just as he was about to take a step forward, Ian raised his arm in front of Mikasa in a protective way.

"Wait… calm down, Mikasa." He turned to the girl, and she looked down and sighed in an attempt to indeed relieve herself of what she felt. With that, Ian snapped his head back towards Rico with a fierce expression on his face. "Rico! Have your squad take out the 12-meter titan in the back! Mitabi's squad and mine will handle the two titans in the front!" he ordered.

Rico's jaw dropped open. "What?!"

"I'm the one who was put in command here! So just shut up and follow orders!" He threw his arm to the side, as if to say he was denying something. "We can't leave Eren here fighting by himself!"

Mikasa had forgotten about her current state and looked towards Ian with wide eyes, the same happening for Rico and Mitabi.

"We're proceeding with the plan, no matter what. We're going to protect Eren, until he finishes off those demons before carrying the rock to the gate." Ian explained in a very serious demeanor. "Since it would be unwise to actually help him deal with those 'scarecrows', we'll just have to wait for him to kill every single one of them before protecting him altogether while he's carrying the rock. Despite of what he is, he represents a precious possibility for humanity. We cannot abandon him here." He turned towards Rico in particular. "Because unlike us, there isn't anybody who can replace him."

"Tch…" Rico scoffed. "Hundreds of people already died for this "precious" monster-human, demon, or whatever you call him… now it would likely lead to more… and you're saying we have to protect him so we can go through it all over again?"

Ian nodded fiercely. "That's right… no matter how many die, we must keep on trying!"

Needless to say, both Mitabi and Rico could only look at their leader in shock, as Ian kept a hardened resolve even with only his look.

"Ian?! Have you lost your mind?!" Rico shouted angrily, glaring at their squad leader.

"Fine! You tell me!" The tall man shouted back, nearly getting into her face in the process. "How is the human race going to beat the titans?!"

"...!" The angry look on her face fell rather quickly, as she didn't expect that question. She had no answer to that, and quite frankly, no one did. All they believed in was that if they continue to fight, they will eventually win against the titans in the end. But is there even a slight chance for _that_ to take place?

"Tell me, Rico! How else will we get through this?! With our humanity intact! Without killing each other! What can we do to overcome the titans' overwhelming strength?! And now we learn all of a sudden that we have a new enemy that further drove us into a corner! If you have a plan to get rid of these titans and demons altogether, then tell me!"

"Of course I have no idea… how to defeat the titans…" the silver-haired woman said, as if she hated the fact that she had no concrete answer. "Nor do I know… if we are even capable of dealing with demons…"

"Exactly… if we knew of a way, it wouldn't have come to this. In other words… this is all that's left for us." He looked towards Eren. "I don't know if he can really do this, either… but we have to give our lives for him… with as much bravery as we can muster!"

Mitabi and Rico looked at Eren as well, before their faces turned into one that showed sorrow.

"Pitiful, isn't it…? That this is the only thing we humans can do… we're probably going to die like insignificant worms… for something we have no guarantee will pay off."

The feeling of the ground shaking was enough to get everyone's attention, like it was a signal for them that _they_ were getting close.

Ian turned back to his two comrades and spoke once more. "So… what will you do? This is the battle we can fight… This is the struggle we can undertake."

Rico had turned her attention back towards Ian, but she remained silent for a few moments before gritting her teeth and walked away from them.

"I can't… go along with that," she muttered.

Ian's eyes widened. This wasn't supposed to happen. If she leaves, they'll be greatly weakened in terms of the squad's overall skill and that was a one-way ticket to their demise. "Rico!" he tried to call out to her.

The woman slowly turned her head back to face her leader. "I'll follow the plan… I think what you're saying is right…" She looked ahead again, a defiant look forming on her face this time. "But while I struggle, I'll teach them how terrible human beings can be. Because I refuse to die a dog's death… Leave the 12-meter class one behind us to my team." she said, before finally flying off.

Ian was shocked at her sudden change in demeanor and while he was left wide-eyed in his place, Mitabi bumped his shoulder with an elbow, snapping the former from his trance-like state.

"Enough talking, Ian…" His words caused Ian to turn to him with a surprised expression. "Let's go! We've got the two titans up ahead to deal with."

As Mitabi flew off, he man was left momentarily speechless from the complete change of demeanor by his two subordinates, but he quickly snapped out of it after remembering there was still a job to be done. "Right!" he exclaimed. Before he could jump off the rooftop though, Mikasa approached him from behind, bowing her head slightly.

"Thank you… Ian…" she muttered, keeping her head down.

Ian turned to her with his serious look. "Mikasa… there's no need to thank me. I got scared stiff earlier when you spoke out of nowhere because I had no idea what you were going to do… but you can move on your own to execute the plan. I think your abilities are better suited to that."

Mikasa snapped her head up all of a sudden, looking serious. "Yes, sir!"

"Protect your boyfriend."

The serious look on her face completely disappeared with those words, as she turned bright red with steam coming out of her ears. Her pupils shrunk and spoke in a shaky voice. "I-I-I'm… w-w-we're… we're not…" she stuttered, but she quickly snapped out of it when she turned her head towards Eren himself.

_"He's… Eren's almost… defeated all of them…"_ she thought, quickly noticing how the number of demons that surrounded the white-haired teen decreased compared to their overwhelming numbers earlier. _"If this continues… then the operation… will finally resume… Alright… I'll…I'll go down there and help…" _she shook her head to get that particular thought off her mind, before closing her eyes and then taking a deep breath to calm herself. _"No… I should… I should stop… Eren told me… he can handle this… if I go down there, then… it will just be like what happened earlier… I'll… be…"_ As Ian flew off, Mikasa gave one last look at Eren before following her leader closely from behind, with only one thing in mind. _"Right now… I'm going to do what I can do."_

At the same time, Eren wiped off the sweat off his forehead and rested Rebellion on his shoulder. He finally killed every single one of those scarecrows that were all hopping around here earlier, and there was nothing left to come between him and the giant rock.

"That… took longer than what I anticipated…" he breathed out, glad that all of the scarecrows were finally killed. "But anyway, that takes care of that… now to —" he immediately stopped in his words when he heard the sound of something flying through the air, causing him to look up. His eyes widened slightly when the same armored being that impaled him with his own sword earlier was descending from the sky and landing on the ground before him. But what made the teen grit his teeth in anger was that there were four of these armors all standing in some kind of formation in front of him, with their lances at the ready and their shields raised.

_"And then these guys decide to show up… there are four of them too, as if one wasn't bad enough… unbelievable. I'm really starting to believe these things are demons… they can't have just chosen to appear after those scarecrows by coincidence… there must be a reason… but there's only one way to find out…!"_ He sighed, before pointing Rebellion towards the Bianco Angelos and narrowed his eyes. "So you four want to join in the fun, huh? Well, let's get this party started right now!"

At the same time, Armin had landed on the building that was the nearest to the rock, where he quickly took notice of Eren fighting against four weird armor-like creatures, but this wasn't the right time to be curious about what they were exactly. However, he was pretty sure that these beings were demons and this was most likely the reason why the plan has been delayed for the moment.

"Eren…" he mumbled out. "The operation can't be carried out if this goes on… you need to deal with them fast and get the rock to the gate…!"

* * *

With Ian and Mitabi's squad, they were successful in dealing with the two titans near the gate before regrouping at a wide rooftop, where they find that their work was far from done when their leader noticed more of their enemies approaching the location of the giant rock, where Eren was.

"This isn't good! Behind us!" Ian shouted, which caused the other soldiers to turn in the same direction. "A 13-meter class is climbing over a building! It's heading towards Eren!"

"No…!" Mikasa cried out of worry. She can't let this happen. Eren can handle the demons, yes, but… he can't possibly handle both those monsters _and_ the titans at the same time! He'll be overwhelmed or in a worst case scenario, he'll die!

"More titans are coming in through the gate!" Mitabi voiced out, just as a total of four new titans made their way inside the district. "Looks like four 10-meter classes!"

Ian turned towards Mikasa, who was already about to make a run for it towards the 13-meter titan behind them. "Mikasa, take care of the one behind us! Don't let it get near Eren! I'll keep the enemy in check here!" he yelled out to her.

"Roger!" she responded before flying away, heading for the 13-meter class titan as fast as she could. _"No matter… how good they are… two squads… can't handle four at once…" _she thought, zooming high into the air before using her speed to maneuver back down, heading straight for the titan's nape and killing it. Mikasa landed on top of its head afterwards and just when she thought that was it, she quickly noticed several more titans heading to her direction, or more specifically, Eren's direction. _"Wait a minute… why are… why are so many titans heading this way…?! There are hardly any humans around…"_

The scene from about an hour ago where Eren was cornered by multiple titans suddenly played inside her mind, making her eyes widen in realization.

_"Don't tell me…"_ she turned to Eren down below. _"They're…They're attracted to Eren…?! B-But how?!"_

* * *

"Eren! What happened to the plan?!" Armin shouted from the rooftop, which was enough for the white-haired teen down below to quickly turn his head, recognizing whose voice it was.

"Armin?" he voiced out, and because he was distracted, he wasn't able to evade a shield bash by one of the armors and knocked him back a few meters away, before barely managing to duck under the lance of another Angelo.

"What's going on here?!" Armin yelled, overlooking the fact that there were four unknown armored creatures that were slowly walking towards his friend. Eren also had his full attention to the blonde teen far away that he didn't notice all of the Angelos had spread out their wings and prepared to charge at him with their massive lances.

"Get out of here, Armin! It's too dangerous! I can handle this!" he shouted, turning back to the demonic armors only to be impaled by one of them through the chest. "Oh, hell no!" Eren grunted in pain before punching the Bianco Angelo away with his right arm and pulled out the lance from his chest, which caused him to cough up some blood afterwards. Although barely, he was still able to avoid the next Angelo that charged towards him by rolling to the side before surprising the demon with a **Stinger** to its exposed back. However, just when he was going to make another attack, a shield bash from a third Angelo sent him rolling away into the ground.

"A-Are they some kind of demons too?!" Armin spoke out, finally taking notice of the Bianco Angelos that regrouped and slowly advanced towards Eren, who was already back up to his feet and cracking his neck.

"I see you guys have strength in numbers, just like the titans…" he muttered, clenching his fist tight and leapt towards the armored beings. "If that's how it is, then I'll just have to separate all of you from each other!"

One of the Angelos prepared for another shield bash to catch Eren as he was about to land, but the teen was ready for it, destroying the shield with a massive ethereal punch that was also powerful enough to knock back the other demons a few feet. Seeing this opportunity, Eren backflipped in mid-air, throwing Rebellion towards the Angelo, before the sword began to spin on its own and managed to incapacitate the creature.

He landed on the ground afterwards and instead of charging at the vulnerable Angelo, he calmly walked towards it, before quipping Yamato with his **Devil Bringer**. "I'm still not used to this thing, but since I'm really in a hurry right now, I'll do what I must." He took a deep breath and assumed a battle stance with the katana, before flicking it with his finger and a split second, Eren zoomed past the Angelo with a slashing sound and with the Yamato drawn from its scabbard. The whole area was silent as Eren sheath his sword just as how his father would, when he would face demons in the past.

***CLICK!***

The armored demon behind him exploded into pieces as Rebellion returned to his back and leaving the teen with three monsters left to deal with. He turned to the remaining Angelos with a serious expression on his face.

"I'm done playing games with you," he said in a low tone. His demonic arm glowed slightly as the Angelos prepared to charge towards him once again, lances at the ready.

_"Eren… you have to hurry."_ Armin thought as he looked on at the impending battle, worried that this fight could go either way.

* * *

A fallen titan on a rooftop that was seemingly killed earlier by the squad suddenly lunged for one of the soldiers, trapping him in its grasp and making the man scream in fear.

"What the hell? It's still alive?!" Ian exclaimed, his eyes widening in fear.

"Son of a bitch… it got him… it got one of our guys…" said Mitabi from beside Ian who was also taken aback by that titan's sudden movements.

Ian quickly noticed a terrifying presence from below, causing him to cry out to his nearby allies. "There's one more coming from below! Steer clear of it!" Just then, a 5-meter class titan had climbed up the rooftop where they were, and also reached out for them. Fortunately, none of the two were harmed although Mitabi had barely avoided the titan's hand.

"Keep your distance for now!" Mitabi shouted out to his teammates. "Mitabi's squad, form up!"

Just then, Mikasa came running across the rooftop towards the titan's direction with a furious look on her face. "Mikasa, reporting!" she called out, before firing her gear. "I'm joining with Mitabi's squad!"

* * *

"EREN!" Armin cried out, watching his friend get overwhelmed with the three remaining Angelos. It was as if after he destroyed one, the rest of them suddenly became more aggressive and didn't give Eren any chance to retaliate, attacking him again and again before he could make a move. The half-demon would do his best to evade the lances, only to be met by continuous shield bashes done by the armors.

Right now, Eren wiped off the blood from the corner of his lips and picked up the katana that was in front of him, before he slowly stood up. _"These guys just won't let me make a damn move even once… I'm sure by now that they're demons, but to be as calculating as this? It's like they know what to do to get around my attacks. They aren't anything like the scarecrows… so there must be something behind this…! They can't be smart for nothing!"_ He thought, avoiding an armor that charged towards him with its lance before using Yamato's **Judgement Cut** to incapacitate the demon in its place. Quickly sensing a presence behind him, Eren avoided another charging Angelo from behind by jumping into the air where he was unaware of the last one already hovering behind him. Just as he was about to punch the Angelos down below with his demonic arm, the demon from behind him struck his back with its weapon.

As he was sent crashing back to the ground, Yamato disappeared from his hand as the teen clenched his teeth in frustration. _"This is going nowhere! I can't find an opening without getting ambushed by the other two…! Damn it!"_ He slammed his demonic arm into the ground out of anger, before glaring at the Angelos that have already regrouped and were slowly advancing towards him. _"While I'm fighting here… more of those titans are coming through the hole… and if I can't plug that up… thousands of people are gonna die and all of our sacrifices will be for nothing!"_ A few tears rolled down his cheeks as he struggled back to his feet, quipping Rebellion from his back and holding the sword tight in his grasp. _"I don't care what these guys are or where they came from… I'm sealing that hole in the wall… even if I have to die trying!"_

He was about to make another charge for the demons, if it weren't for the familiar voice that he heard in the distance.

"Eren!" Armin's voice was enough for him to freeze in place and look up at the rooftop where his friend was standing. The young blonde had a look that showed both great desperation and worry as he spoke in a frantic tone. "You have to end this quick! If you here any longer, the titans will kill you! They'll kill all of us! Everything will end here!"

"Damn it Armin, I told you to get out of here already!" Eren shook his head and shouted back in worry as well. "I'll take care of this, one way or another! And I'm plugging that hole no matter what!"

"There's no time, Eren! You have to end this now, or else it's the end for all of humanity!" A few tears had appeared in the corner of Armin's eyes as he continued to speak, before flying down towards the giant rock and standing on top of it. "Right now, Mikasa and the others are doing everything in their power to prevent the titans from getting to you! A lot of people are putting their lives on the line for this and it will all be in vain if we fail!"

Eren frowned and kept his look down on the ground grimly. "Let me worry about that…" he muttered in a quiet tone before sending a scowl in Armin's direction. "But I can't do it if I have to worry about your safety as well. Get out of here now, because I can't save you from any of these guys if one of them decides to go for you while I'm dealing with them. Go now, or I'll have to let whatever percentage of humanity die to save your ass." He turned back to the armors and was about to charge once more only for Armin to speak again.

"Eren…" Although he was already walking away from Armin, the white-haired demon was still able to hear his friend clearly. "Someday… we're going to explore the outside world, aren't we?"

That made Eren suddenly freeze in his tracks, his eyes slowly widening as he took in Armin's words deeply, and realizing the meaning behind them.

"We'll go far, past the wall… to see the burning water… the land of ice… the plains of sand…" Armin looked up into the sky, a sad smile appearing on his face. "It's why… It's the reason why you saved me from those demons, remember? You said… You said that it can't happen if one of us is missing…"

"The… **outside world…"** Eren muttered, his voice slowly becoming more demonic and his eyes turned red for a brief moment before returning to normal. The half-demon wasn't aware of the remaining Angelos each spread their wings and prepared to lash out at Eren with one final attack altogether, intending to finish him off.

"Eren, answer me…" That was enough for Eren to finally turn around and face Armin with a conflicted expression. Armin also looked down from the sky, turning to his friend with the same look on his face. "You always said that hell was waiting for us outside the walls… so why did you… ever want to go to the outside world?"

Eren couldn't say anything afterwards, before various memories filled his mind that were all connected to that particular dream of his. He first thought about the book that Armin showed to him, which first sparked the idea to him.

"Why…?"

Then he thought about Dante, his uncle through his father, whose words about the outside world only became fuel to his dream and further encouraged him to keep moving forward.

"Well, that's…"

The trio of Bianco Angelos took off from their place and flew towards Eren with great speed thanks to the thrusters on their backs.

"That's obvious, isn't it…?"

The armored demons were all but upon Eren as they thrusted out their lances towards him, before it seemed like time had begun to slow down for the half-demon, so he was still unaware of the Angelos that were just behind him. Those memories in his mind made him clench his fists and look down as he smiled in a sarcastic manner.

"It's **because…"**

His eyes glowed red once more, and this time they didn't turn back into their original green hue. His body also began to emit a blue smoky aura, before looking up at Armin with determination burning in every fibre of his being.

***BOOM!***

Eren's **Devil Trigger** activated afterwards, creating a small explosion that was powerful enough to knock back the three Angelos behind him as the giant ethereal demon appeared behind the teen when the smoke cleared, speaking in a demonic voice that resonated with his own.

**"...I was born into this world!"**

* * *

_**Well that ends this chapter! I really apologize if I took too long, but I had to finish my remaining school days, and my dad also returned from Qatar just last week. So, I've been spending time with him and my grandparents lately and it's gonna be that way until he leaves again. Anyway, we have finally reached the last part of the Trost arc, and I'm pretty sure all of you know where this will lead to. Are you all excited for Erwin and Levi finally meeting Nero? Me too! But first, we'll have to wrap things up with this arc so stay tuned for the conclusion next chapter!**_

_**So now I have come up with a plotline for DMC4 and DMC5, with my own twist of course. Now I won't say anything that will reveal much about them, but do keep these things in mind: (Slight spoilers ahead!)**_

_**1\. DMC4 will be taking place after the Female Titan arc INSIDE the walls. There will be no Fortuna Island or anything like that.**_

_**2\. DMC4 will be focusing on one girl of the harem, which is Annie, and give her relationship with Eren a lot of development. I still have plans for Historia, especially in the Uprising arc because I have some BIG twists waiting there. For the other girls, just wait and see.**_

_**3\. DM**__**C5 will grant Eren the Sin DT and his own sword named after him. Hey, Dante's dead here, so somebody's gotta take up that opportunity.**_

_**4\. DMC5 is taking place after the RTS arc, three years after it to be exact. A lot of mysteries are waiting in this arc, especially my own twist about the REAL history of the Eldians and why they are referred to as 'devils'.**_

_**Got that? They didn't reveal much, right? I sure hope I got your attention now with those things… hahahahahaha.**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	19. A Demon's Will

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

_**Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy the chapter and I'll see you on New Year's!**_

* * *

With Rico and her squad, things weren't going down their way either as they stood helpless, unable to do anything to help one of their comrades that was being devoured by another titan. They were successful in taking down that 12-meter class from earlier, only to come across more of them, albeit smaller.

"Squad leader… it's over." A female soldier breathed out, fearing for her own life as she turned towards Rico. "We're all that's left!"

Rico shook in fear too, before pointing to the direction of where the rock was situated. "For now, retreat to the rock! Let's regroup with Ian and Mitabi before making another move!"

However, just as they all turned around to leave, they all widened their eyes when the boulder from afar was lifted up into the air by a giant ethereal hand.

* * *

Ian and his squad, along with Mikasa and Mitabi's team, were finally able to put an end to the seemingly endless wave of titans that were all but upon them earlier, which included the ones who were capable of climbing up rooftops. But there wasn't time for a celebration of some sort, as they witnessed several more titans entering the district.

"Five titans… are coming through the gate!" Mitabi exclaimed in fear.

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Don't these things have a limit?!"

"Our efforts… are useless!"

"Withdraw for now!" Ian announced to all of his comrades with a hardened expression. Even he knew that it would be pointless to continue fighting right now. "Our next step depends on Eren's condition!"

They were about to take off too, only to be met with a giant rock being carried by a giant spectral hand that seemed to be coming from the ground. Their eyes widening, the soldiers on the rooftop quickly went towards its edge where they witnessed a familiar white-haired demon under the rock, using his demonic arm to support the huge boulder as he treaded slowly towards the wall. What made the difference was that his eyes were glowing bright red and his body was giving off blue smoke-like aura, a clear sign of his **Devil Trigger** activated.

Tears formed in the corner of Mikasa's eyes as she smiled. "Eren…"

A loud voice boomed around the whole area, getting everyone's attention as the blonde teen landed on the same rooftop where they were all situated. "Multiple titans approaching from the rear!" Armin shouted, before he walked up towards Mikasa.

"Armin!" she cried.

"Eren killed those demons!" he replied with a grateful smile on his face, as though he attained victory in a hard-fought battle. "And now… he's trying to carry out his duty…! If we cover Eren until he reaches the gate… it's victory for us!"

Armin's words quickly went through Ian's head as he snapped. He turned to his troops with gritted teeth. "Defend him to the death! Even if it means all our lives, protect Eren until he gets to the gate!" he roared out to his subordinates, and one by one, they got the message and flew off the rooftop with one objective in mind:

Protect Eren.

Ian then turned to Mikasa and Armin, before he was ready to jump off the building himself. "You two go with him!" he yelled at the two teens, who were surprised with his sudden command.

"What?!" said Armin.

"That's an order! Got it?!"

"Yes, sir!" Both friends shouted back at the same time.

Satisfied with their answer, the man was ready to take off only for his eyes to widen when he saw what was going on down below. "Mitabi's squad…?! What are they…?!"

Four titans who had gotten through the gate were seemingly heading towards Eren, completely ignoring a whole squad of soldiers much to their shock.

"The titans aren't hunting us! We have to get close enough for them to smell us!" Mitabi shouted out to his comrades, as he led the way towards the gargantuan beings that continued to ignore their presence.

"Hey! Look over here!" One of them shouted once they had gotten close enough to those titans.

"If you don't turn around, I'm gonna stick my blade right up your stinkin' ass!" Mitabi shouted as well and before they knew it, the titans finally turned around and saw their squad on the ground. That alone was enough for two of the monsters to turn their attention to the soldiers as they ran to the opposite direction to lure them away from Eren.

"Here they come!"

"Two of 'em!"

"Run!"

"Get to the building!"

Armin looked at this in shock. "What are they…?! Staying on the ground is suicide! Without horses or buildings, they can't fight!"

"No…" Ian breathed out, before gritting his teeth in realization. "That's… the only way left." With those words, he jumped down into the ground followed by his squad, running towards the titans head-on. Mikasa snapped Armin out of his slight trance and the two of them followed the orders given to them, as they ran towards Eren with their blades drawn and ready to fight.

"Follow Mitabi's lead!" Ian's voice rang out throughout the battlefield, before him and his squad drew out their swords. "I don't care how close you get! We have to make them target us, otherwise the operation will fail!"

* * *

The Devil Trigger Eren made slight grunts as he took slow but careful steps towards his goal. He wasn't particularly struggling with the gigantic rock that he was carrying [although it was enough to bother him only slightly], but he knew that he still had to be cautious of his every step.

With his ethereal version of his right arm being the only thing that kept the boulder on the air, he had the Rebellion sword in his free left hand should any more demons decide to make an appearance now. It would be risky to fight while he was like this, but it wasn't like he had a choice in the matter. All he could do was hope that the demons (Bianco Angelos) he had destroyed a while ago were all that's left of them.

_**"This rock… is a death flag for those titans coming through the gate…"**_ Eren thought in his mind. Unlike the second time that he went in this state, Eren now had full control of his own thoughts and actions compared to what happened while he was rampaging through titans and demons alike hours earlier. _**"If I get this rock to the outer gate and seal it, they won't be able to get into the district anymore… that's why they were heading for me."**_ The white-haired demon quickly noticed how those titans in front had their attention towards him instead of the soldiers. _**"I must get this over with… and save everyone!"**_

Eren gritted his teeth and began to tread faster, only for him to slightly widen his blood-red eyes when he noticed Mikasa and Armin before him, all prepared for battle.

**"Mikasa… Armin… what are you doing…?"** he said. **"If you stay there… the titans'll eat you! Or worse, more demons can show up and kill you out of nowhere!"**

Mikasa didn't respond because she was too focused on watching out for any threats, and only Armin turned to face Eren. However, he didn't say anything and only looked at his friend with a determined face, and that was enough for the half-demon to get the message.

_"Why did you want to go… to the outside world, Eren?"_

The titans in the distance continued to get distracted by Ian and Mitabi's squads, only for some of them to die horrible deaths by getting eaten by those monsters in return. Eren could only watch them die before his eyes, as he knew this was inevitable. While this was happening, Armin and Mikasa kept their guard up for any more titans that were heading for their friend.

_***start playing "We Shall Never Surrender"***_

_**"When we're born… all of us… are free. People who reject, no matter how strong they are… don't matter."**_

A memory flashed through Eren's mind. It was when Armin first gave him a glimpse of what was outside of the walls, through his book.

_**"The burning water, the land of ice… anything will do. Anyone who saw those things… would be the freest… person in the world."**_

Eren tightened his grip on his sword as they passed through the horde of titans that assaulted the squads.

_**"Fight back!"**_

Almost all of the members of both Ian and Mitabi Squads had been wiped out by the titans, and they were only able to bring down two of them.

_**"Who'd value their life… over something like that? It doesn't matter… how terrifying the world is."**_

The three teens were able to witness the horrible sight of Ian Dietrich himself getting eaten before their eyes, and they can only look on in horror, unable to do anything about it. Eren gritted his teeth, while Mikasa and Armin had tears in their eyes. They were only able to press forward, and continue their mission until the end.

_**"It doesn't matter… how cruel the world is."**_

The three were nearing the gate, only for them to get noticed by one of the titans that preyed on Alpha Squad as it turned towards them. Mikasa and Armin immediately raised their swords as they charged towards the monster, ready to defend Eren as they were told to do.

_**"Fight back!"**_

Before the two could move in closer to the titan, the wheezing of ODM gear could be heard as another soldier swooped down and planted her sword into its eye.

"Get out of the way!" Rico shouted, jumping off of the titan as Mikasa quickly took advantage of the opportunity that was presented before them. Firing her gear, she went behind the titan before launching herself up towards its exposed nape in order to kill it.

_**"Fight!"**_

With nothing more in the way, Eren continued his last steps forward before stopping when he finally reached the outer gate, with enough space for him to seal the hole.

"G…"

This was it.

All of their sacrifices…

The men slain…

The lives lost…

For this very moment.

The half-demon started to lower down the load he was carrying with his right arm. Everything around Armin went silent for a moment as tears gathered in his eyes again, before screaming out as loud as he could while clenching his fists tightly.

"Go, Eren!"

With a roar, Eren slammed the gigantic boulder down before him, sealing the gate completely.

_**"FIGHT!"**_

A smile slowly made its way through Armin's teary face; for all their blood, efforts, and sacrifices, the mission was accomplished.

Mikasa widened her eyes as she landed on the ground before she became tearful as well. He… He saved them all… Eren fulfilled his task… and now Trost district was saved, along with all the people that lived here, if not every human living inside the walls.

Rico fell on her butt as she watched Eren plug the hole in the wall, with a look of shock clearly evident in her features. She let out nothing but stutters and incoherent words at first, before regaining herself as tears formed in her eyes too. "My comrades… everyone…" she muttered, pulling out her flare gun. "Your sacrifices… weren't… in vain…"

* * *

_Today, the human race… won its first… victory…_

"Yellow flare confirmed. Looks like…" said Anka, as she got a closer view of the flare that was fired from the far end of the district, near the inner gate. "The operation was a success." She put down the telescope she was using as her own shock took over.

All of the surrounding soldiers were in the same state, since they were thinking it would take a miracle for their 'suicide mission', as they put it, to even work successfully. They all had looks of disbelief on their faces, even Pixis gained such an expression, but it was also the commander who was the first to break out of his stupor as he shouted out his next order.

He threw out his arm before him, giving the signal to the rest of the troops on the wall who were waiting for their further orders. "Send in reinforcements now! Rescue the Alpha Squad!"

* * *

Rico and Mikasa immediately took off into the air as soon as they noticed that the remaining titans there had turned their attention to the now-sealed hole, which was also the area where Eren and Armin are currently situated.

"The other titans are coming! We have to climb up the wall! We'll be safe there!" Rico called out towards the raven-haired teen.

"I will withdraw from here as soon as Eren and Armin are recovered!" Mikasa answered back, as she flew down to where her two friends were located.

As soon as he accomplished his task of sealing the wall with the giant rock, Eren's **Devil Trigger** deactivated and the white-haired teen fell to his knees and panted heavily in exhaustion. Drawing on the power of his special state to enhance his strength to be able to lift up the boulder took a lot out of Eren, and now he was suffering through the aftereffect it brought to him.

That made Armin snap and he quickly rushed over to his friend in deep concern. "Eren, are you okay?!" he asked, slinging one of Eren's arms over his neck.

"…Ar…min…" the half-demon barely breathed out, showing how exhausted he had become before he slowly turned his head towards Armin.

At the same time, Mikasa had landed on the ground with Rico and she didn't waste any time running up to her friends before noticing the state Eren was in. Her eyes widened in fear as she gave an audible gasp, which caused the blonde teen to notice her presence. "Armin, what happened to Eren?!" she asked in a worried tone.

"Carrying the rock all the way here took a lot out of him, and now he's too exhausted to even use his gear! But if we don't hurry up and climb the wall…!"

Mikasa quickly understood the situation as she went towards Eren's side, slinging his other arm over her neck. With both of them acting as support, Eren was able to stand up properly although he still looked out of it.

"Quick! Carry him up the wall, Mikasa!" Armin yelled in fear, as the remaining titans there finally reached the area where they were. The giant creatures knelt down and stared at their prey, before reaching out to grab them.

"You three! We're going to get eaten at this rate!" Rico turned back to them with a fearful expression. If this was any other time, she would immediately climb up the wall now and save herself, but she had her duty and she couldn't leave these teenagers here to their fate.

"I… can't…!" Mikasa gritted her teeth and struggled to fire her gear, more so when Armin left her to carry Eren by herself. She realized it was too late for her to do anything when the titan's hand was only a few meters left before it reached them, forcing her to drop Eren to the ground as she drew her sword to fight their remaining enemies.

Armin managed to catch Eren before his head could hit the ground, letting his friend rest in his arms as Mikasa was about to fight back. Rico looked too conflicted to do anything but nonetheless, she pulled out her swords too, ready to fulfill her responsibility as a soldier even now.

However, before they could even make a move, another soldier had came down from the sky and slashed through the titan's nape as if he was a rotating motor blade. With that one clean cut, the titan fell to the ground as a corpse with its killer standing on top of it.

"What…?!" Armin's voiced out in confusion.

Even Mikasa looked confused with what just happened. She was ready to kill the titan herself had it not been for the other soldier coming from above to do it. Have the reinforcements arrived after they saw Rico's flare? "T-That's…" she muttered.

Eren regained enough of his strength that he was able to observe the mystery soldier closely, particularly the cloak that he was wearing and the insignia that it bore. He narrowed his eyes to get a closer look, only for them to widen when he realized what it was and what it symbolized.

_"The wings… of freedom…"_

"Hey, brats…" Levi Ackerman turned to the three cadets who were standing by the rock with his usual bored expression.

Meanwhile, the other remaining titan had been also disposed of by more soldiers who all bore the same cloak and insignia that Levi had. It only meant one thing.

"...what's the situation here?"

* * *

_The returning Survey Corps and the Garrison's military engineers came charging into the district, and thanks to them…_

_Wall Rose once again held off the titans._

_For the first time, the human race had stopped a titan invasion. Not only that, but they did so with the sudden appearance of demons along the way. It was a remarkable milestone in their history, but…_

_Far too many lives were lost for the humans to revel in their victory._

* * *

_**And that comes the end of the Trost arc, ladies and gentlemen! I was honestly surprised it took exactly ten chapters to finish it, and hopefully this pace becomes the same for the upcoming arcs. Next chapter, we'll be dealing with the aftermath of the battle and the ones after that will be the start of the Female Titan arc. I know that most of you are excited with Levi and Erwin finally meeting Eren. How will things play out? Stay tuned!**_

_**Okay, time for me to address a common concern among my readers for this story. Many of you have asked if I will be including DmC: Devil May Cry in this fanfic, so here is my answer. I have already made it clear in the very first chapter which DMC universe I adapted here, and that's the original. So, the reboot is immediately thrown out of the window. However, when it comes to references and callbacks to DmC, I may or may not have them and it depends on the scenario. I repeat, I may be adding references to the reboot, but that is still unknown for now. I didn't really hate the reboot but I prefer the original over it so much, so that's it for this issue.**_

_**Also, next chapter, I'll be revealing the full list of devil arms that I'll be including in this fanfic. Eren won't be having any more devil arms except for Rebellion and Yamato (as well as a certain one that I'm keeping a secret for now, but if you have played DMC5, then you know), so that leaves the door open for new wielders of Cerberus, Agni and Rudra, Beowulf, and more. All the more reason for you to tune in to the next update!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	20. Dispute

_**I know I'm late, but cheers to the new year, everyone!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

_The interior was in a state of confusion, just like five years ago._

Further inside human territory, particularly the land that was within Wall Sina, countless people had formed crowds in the open roads to try and catch up with the news that surrounded the recent dilemma in Trost district. News like this get around the whole walls particularly fast, with the tragedy from five years ago being a prime example. When the information came out that Shingashina had been breached, the panic reached nearly all of the districts and villages within the walls.

"The Colossal Titan had destroyed the southern gate of Trost district… and Trost was temporarily occupied by titans… but a do-or-die operation to take back the territory has succeeded, and the gate was sealed."

"The titans still inside Trost district are being hunted down…"

"The wall was 'sealed'? How'd they manage that?!"

Despite the miraculous event of humanity becoming victorious against the titans for the first time, it was very unlikely for people to believe in it, especially those who weren't there to witness what actually happened.

"Of course, it's all lies! This is just royal propaganda."

"They're spreading those lies around to keep us commoners in the interior in the dark!"

"The bastards from outside the wall are already rushing through Wall Sina!"

The reactions of the people were varied, even though they believed in the same notion that the so-called "operation to retake Trost" was only a fluke. They didn't know who to believe, nor did they know what they should do from now on. Strange, considering that there was nobody who was supporting the idea that there really was a successful operation.

"Terrible news from the merchants!"

Another loud voice cut through the already-growing voices in the crowd, getting the attention of most of the people who were gathered in that area. However, none of them were expecting to hear more conspiracies from the outer walls.

"The merchants' association? Can we really believe information that isn't certified by the monarchy?!"

"And why should I believe the monarchy's information is correct?!"

One individual in particular, had widened his eyes when his attention was caught by news that could be deemed both interesting and unbelievable at the same time.

"Hey… what the hell does this mean…?"

The way how the man spoke was enough to also catch the attention of the people that surrounded him, before being bombarded by questions left and right to figure out what it was.

"What is it?"

"D-Did something happen?"

"I-It says here… a titan sealed up the gate… with a boulder!"

There was nobody there who could provide an answer to that. Quite frankly, there was no one who even expected that kind of delusion. A _titan_, the monster that haunted humanity for a century, _sealed the gate_? How could that even happen? If possible, it was just a mere joke in a hopeless world.

"What does that mean?"

"Are they saying a titan was on _our_ side?"

* * *

Eren sat on a bed, having woken up from a deep slumber. Rubbing his eyes, he quickly noticed that he was wearing a pair of pajamas which bothered him. Wasn't he using his soldiers' uniform to help out in Trost? Before he could get up from the bed and search for answers though, he saw that his hands were bound and cuffed to the wall.

He looked back and sighed. "I should've expected this," he mumbled to himself. Slowly but surely, the memories of Trost district came back to his mind, more particularly, when he successfully sealed the hole.

_"At least it all worked out in the end…"_ he finished in his thoughts, looking at the brighter side of things.

He looked up and saw two soldiers standing outside his cell, which means they must be the guards. "Excuse me," he called out but only one of them turned his head to look at him. "I need to use the toilet."

"We're not the ones who give you permission to do things here, but I sure hope we were." He spat, glaring at the white-haired teen.

Ignoring the glare that the man just gave him, Eren instead went for an alternative. "Then can I at least have some water? My throat is about to go dry." He said as though he was pleading.

"Hey," the other soldier spoke with a glare that matched that of his companion's. "Know your place… you demon."

That rendered Eren speechless, and left him staring at the two guards with a confounded look. However, it only took a few moments for him to snap out of his trance and proceeded to look away with a grim expression.

_"Demon, huh…"_ he thought. _"Well, he's not wrong… but… it's strange. Haven't I already proved I'm on humanity's side when I plugged up that hole? Are they so afraid of me and what I am that they have to shackle me like this? Well, I guess that makes sense… they must be scared shit that there's a threat that can pose as a danger to humans other than the titans." _He leaned back on the bed and gazed at his uncovered right arm. He was tempted to cover it up in bandages again when this is all over, only for him to shake his head at the idea. _"That'd be pointless if everyone now knows what this looks like. Come to think of it… what happened since then…? To Armin… Mikasa… and the others… what are they doing now? I only remember hearing two voices, but I can't make out who they are…"_

_"Please endure this just for a while longer. We'll try to speak to someone."_

_"He looks nothing more than a brat instead of a demon…"_

Just then, the door outside of his cell opened, which snapped Eren out of his thoughts as he looked up to see who it was that entered.

A woman with dark brown hair tied in a ponytail stood before the cell with a look of sympathy on her face. If it weren't for the insignia of the Survey Corps that was on her soldier's uniform, Eren would make a mental note not to trust this woman. He had a weird feeling about her. Standing beside the woman was a tall and well-built man who had blond hair with a dark mustache and beard. Like his companion, he also bore the insignia of the Scout Regiment on his clothes.

"Eren, I'm sorry." The woman spoke, trying to explain things. "We kept you waiting. But it looks like you can finally get out of here."

Eren's eyes widened upon hearing those words and as the female soldier spoke, the guards outside opened his cell door and went inside. The half-demon watched as the two also undid his shackles, only for them to bind his arms behind him that got a groan of slight pain from Eren.

"Can't these binds just go since I can finally get out of this cell?" he asked, before getting pushed off the bed by the guards who then forced him back up to his feet.

"They'll be coming off eventually, trust me. For now, just follow us out of your cell." the woman continued as the two Survey Corps soldiers walked off.

However, Eren wasn't quick to follow the orders given to him and so it took the two guards from behind to push him out of the cell, and that was when the teen relented and walked up towards the two scouts. Of course, he did send a little glare those two guards behind them and wondered what the hell was their problem with him. Because of his power, he could easily break the shackles that bound his wrists, but he decided not to and would see first where would this lead to.

_"Besides, I might end up scaring them even more because of it…" _

As they walked through a set of stairs and the deep hallway that followed, the long-haired brunette began to speak once more.

"I'm **HANGE ZÖE**, a squad leader in the Survey Corps…" she pointed to herself before looking over to the blonde man that suddenly went behind Eren. "And he's…"

Eren's face contorted into one that showed disgust when the man leaned in close to his nape and began to sniff him. "Uh, what is he doing…?" he asked, as Eren couldn't help but feel that he was being violated.

"He's **MIKE ZACHARIAS**, also a squad leader in the Survey Corps." Hange explained, sending a reassuring look at the teen. "He always smells people when he first meets them…" The man named Mike finally stepped away from Eren, before letting out a snort. "...and then sneers."

_"Note to self… try to stay away from this guy…"_ Eren thought, sweat-dropping. _"He's damn weird."_

"It probably doesn't mean anything," Hange continued. "Believe me, his skills as a squad leader outweighs his quirks— oh!" The group reached the end of the hallway, where a large door was located.

"Squad Leader, where are we heading?" Eren asked, who look confused at what was going on.

"Sorry… I talk too much. This is it already. But don't worry!" As Hange opened the door, Eren noticed a bead of sweat running down her face. "Wait, actually… maybe it's better that I didn't explain."

"Wait, what's going on anyway? Where are you taking me?" He was right about his suspicions with this woman all along.

"Just tell them exactly how you feel. Maybe I shouldn't say this… but all we can do is believe in you."

With those words, he was pushed inside by the guards watching him and the half-demon got a good look of his surroundings afterwards.

Two separate groups of people were situated on either side of the room, with one looking at him with neutral looks while the other sending serious expressions and a few glares. A long and tall platform was at the far end of the room, with three of the chairs there being occupied by two soldiers who looked like they were both part of those in the upper power. The chair between them was empty, but that won't be for long.

"...a courtroom?" he mumbled to himself. "So I've been in the cell below this place all this time…?"

"Keep walking, slowly." One of the guards whispered to him, while Eren resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was able to get a quick glance at Hange and Mike who were behind him before he continued on walking, particularly towards the small elevated platform that was in the middle of the room.

"Get down there." Obeying the command, Eren knelt down on the platform as he felt something lock his bound wrists in place afterwards. He turned his head to see a small plank inserted through his restraints, giving him no chance of escape… or was it truly that way?

He sent glances to both sides of the room, attempting to find out who were involved in his… capture. He'd make another mental note to not trust those people when the time comes.

To his right side was a soldier who stood in front of the mob of people, which included regular civilians and soldiers alike, with one particular man who stood out from all of them because of his attire. The soldier had the insignia of the Military Police on his uniform, and a bolo tie similar to that of his fellow military commanders. He had short, thin, black hair and his eyes were dark in color. He also sported a very light mustache and goatee.

_"The leader of the Military Police Brigade…"_ he concluded, before turning to the opposite side of the courtroom. His eyes immediately took notice of a familiar figure whom he met a few days before.

_"Commander Pixis…" _Eren noticed that the commander was with his subordinates and standing not far from them, was the pair of soldiers who paid a visit to him in his cell not long ago. The teen wasn't aware of this, but he knew enough about the Survey Corps that he was able to recognize who they were almost immediately.

_"Commander Erwin… and Captain Levi…"_ He also noticed the short black-haired soldier known throughout the walls as humanity's strongest soldier, Levi. Beside him was the tall blonde commander of the Survey Corps also known throughout humanity's territory, Erwin Smith.

_"So they're here too… and from the looks of it, they're on Commander Pixis' side." _A quick memory flashed through his mind, and he remembered how Pixis himself said that he would guarantee his safety along with Armin and Mikasa's, which lead him to one conclusion. _"That means… the Survey Corps is with the —"_ Speaking of his two friends, Eren's eyes slightly widened in surprise when he caught sight of them as well. _"You guys… you're here too?"_ They were at the same area with Pixis, Erwin and Levi along with the soldiers under their command. Both of them were looking at him in worry, especially Mikasa.

"Well… let's begin." A short old man with sunken eyes said as he took his seat in the middle of the podium at the other side of the courtroom. He wore glasses, had noticeable wrinkles on his face, a full beard and mustache. He wore a white shirt with dark colored pants.

_"That man is the head of the three military branches within the walls…"_ Eren said in his thoughts, getting a good look at the man before him. _"Commander-in-chief _**DARIUS ZACKLY**_…"_

"You are Eren Yeager, yes?" the man spoke, reading from a piece of paper. "As a soldier, you've pledged your life to serve the public. Correct?"

Realizing that the best way for him to deal with this is by cooperating, Eren slowly nodded and answered. "Yes, sir."

"And it has been pointed out in particular here that the fabled Dark Knight Sparda of an old legend, is in fact, a reality and that you carry his demon blood within you through one of his sons… who, in turn, bore you as their offspring. Hence, that abomination on your arm. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir." Eren nodded again, although with a small hint of surprise in his tone. Zackly was handling this better than what he had expected, but then again, the man was the commander of all the military branches.

"Regular law cannot apply in these exceptional circumstances. Therefore, this will be a military tribunal. Ultimate authority has been entrusted to me…" He turned his attention to the teen in the middle of the room with narrowed eyes. "Even over your life. Now, I will only ask you once. Do you have any objections?"

Despite the small threat that was given to him, Eren steeled himself and simply shook his head. He needed to be careful in handling everyone's curiosity about his real nature, or it might end up in something worse than what already is.

"No, sir."

"I'm glad that you understand." He turned his gaze back to the piece of paper than was in his hand. "Now, this unprecedented case has given rise to many conflicting, passionate arguments behind these walls. There are those…"

Eren made sure to listen to every word that was being spoken; he may have a rebellious nature of the sort, but he knew when to settle down and have a talk. He didn't want to be held down like this, but he could understand why it needed to be done.

"...who call you the devil that will lead us to destruction. And others consider you a savior who will bring hope to the human race." He turned back to Eren and pushed his glasses up. "As expected, it proved impossible to hide your existence from the general public. When we are eventually forced to make an official announcement about you, it will inevitably produce a new threat in addition to the titans."

At this moment, Erwin Smith stepped forward and the commander of the Military Police did the same from the other side of the courtroom."We are here to decide which branch of the military will be responsible of your activities. That decision will determine how you are dealt with."

The Brigade commander then sent a sharp look towards the white-haired teen, while Erwin had a stoic expression on his face.

"The Military Police Brigade… or the Survey Corps…" Zackly turned towards his left side where the Military Police were all gathered. "We'll hear from the Military Police Brigade first."

The officer with the only bolo tie on his uniform spoke up, but not before saluting the commander-in-chief. "I am Chief **NILE DOK** of the Military Police Brigade… and we believe…" he looked towards Eren, who returned it with a scowl. The half-demon had a feeling that he's not going to like where this was going.

"...that Eren's body, especially his right arm, should be thoroughly examined… after which it should be disposed of without delay."

Silence filled the whole courtroom afterwards, and nobody dared to either oppose or add more to what Nile said. However, it didn't stop Mikasa from looking more worried for Eren, but Armin was doing what he can to keep his friend calm. Nile was quick and direct to the point with what the Brigade wanted to do, but unfortunately for Eren himself, he wasn't behind that notion one bit. It seemed stupid and was obviously produced out of fear just for what he was. Also, it appeared that their plan of action was solely based on the decisions of civilians instead of the soldiers' own judgement.

"Careful consideration of the grave damage that validating his existence would cause… led us to this conclusion." Nile explained, before getting into more details of their proposal. "Those who hold the reins of power in the center regard him as a threat. Yet despite the current situation, those people, including the royal family, have stuck to their policy of non-interference in matters outside the wall, just as they did five years ago. However, the masses see Eren as a hero for his part in the counterattack. This has sparked a backlash, chiefly among merchants and people of Wall Rose. As a result, we may even see a civil war consume what territory we have left."

_"They're confused… the people have no real idea what went down in Trost…"_ Eren said to himself, thinking of Nile's briefing of the situation. _"What the hell is happening out there…?"_

"It's undeniable that the power he holds within him deserves credit for repelling this latest attack." The MP commander sent a cold look at Eren. "However… it's also fact that his very existence causes real harm. In no time, he's become a highly politicized figure. Therefore, after we extract as much information as we can from him… we will turn him into a martyr for the human race."

Eren didn't hesitate to send a hostile expression back towards Nile as they locked eyes, enough to make the grown man break his cold demeanor just for a second and start to sweat, only for a new voice to break out from the side of the Police Brigade.

"That isn't necessary!" Eren's cold glare disappeared as he turned to the man who just spoke, the same for the rest of the people in the courtroom.

"What…?" Nile said in a confused tone. For a moment there, it looked as though he was in a trance and he didn't know what happened. Why did it feel like he just stared into the eyes of the devil itself?

"He is a pest that circumvented the divine protection of the wall through trickery, and puts up false claims for having the blood of the legendary Sparda through his body! He should be executed immediately!"

At the mention of the name 'Sparda', Eren's eyes widened. So there are people here who look up to his grandfather as if he was truly a legend? In all honesty, it shouldn't be that way since the people inside the walls only knew Sparda as a legend, and a myth too. It was only now that they were becoming aware of his existence, but this man was acting strange.

_"I… t-that uniform…!"_ The white-haired teen began to recognize the man just from getting a good look at his clothes. He was a very tall and wrinkled man with his eyes having dark circles over them. He wore a black cassock with three bands near the top that had the symbols of the walls on them, but what caught Eren's attention was the strange insignia on the man's sleeve. _"It's from the group that started gaining followers years ago… what was it called…? The church, was it…?"_ Eren then narrowed his eyes at this mysterious man out of suspicion, as the latter scowled at him in return. _"If his group had gained followers throughout the years, then…"_

"**MINISTER NICK**, quiet, please." Zackly said, before turning to his right where the soldiers of the Garrison and the Survey Corps stood. "We will now hear the proposal from the Survey Corps."

"Sir." Erwin saluted before fully speaking. "I'm **ERWIN SMITH**, 13th Commander of the Survey Corps. We plan to induct Eren into the Corps as a full-fledged member…" He turned towards Eren almost immediately. "...and use his demonic abilities to take back Wall Maria. That is all."

_"Huh?"_ Eren looked towards Erwin in slight suspicion, trying to detect any sign of malice in his words, only to find nothing. While this was happening, Zackly spoke in a somewhat intrigued tone.

"Hm? That is all you have to say?"

"Yes, sir." Erwin nodded, looking up at the commander-in-chief, but not missing the sour looks of Nile and Minister Nick that were directed to him. "With his power, we can recover Wall Maria. I believe our priorities are clear."

"...I see." Zackly turned his head towards Pixis afterwards. "By the way, what base do you plan to use to launch expeditions going forward? Pixis?" he asked the commander of the Garrison troops present. "The Trost District wall is now completely sealed, is it not?"

"Yes… that gate will never open again." Pixis answered.

"We wish to set out from eastern Karanes District." Erwin continued. "We need to develop a new route to Shiganshina District… completely from scratch."

A man wearing a black coat from the side of the MP Brigade quickly raised his arm in alarm, his face showing desperation and worry. "Hold on! Isn't it time we sealed off all the gates _permanently_?" He interjected. "The Colossal Titan has only been able to destroy the gates in the walls! If we just reinforced those areas, they would never be able to attack us again…"

_"The conservatives are here too, huh…"_ Eren sighed internally, because this trial won't be over easily with these people acting like this.

"...do those dogs in the merchants' association want land that badly?!" the man continued with a desperate voice. "All you people do is blurt out unrealistic ideas while plunging us further into ruin! We won't let you play at being heroes any longer!"

Nobody spoke from the Survey Corps or the Garrison for a few moments, looking like they were thinking about the man's words, before Captain Levi scoffed in annoyance. "Tch. You're full of talk, you pig… but where's your guarantee that the titans will wait patiently while we wall up the gates?"

The man flinched under the cold gaze of humanity's strongest soldier, as Levi crossed his arms. "When you say 'we', you talk about my friends who protect you while you get fat. You pigs take no notice of the people who can't eat because there isn't enough land!"

"A-All I said was that we'd be safe if sealed up the gates…!" The man tried to defend himself, only for the creepy presence of Minister Nick to suddenly appear beside him.

"That's enough, insolent scoundrel!" He shouted, getting the civilian to shut up and unknowingly attracting the attention of everyone in the room, including Eren. "Wall Rose was a gift from God… do you mean to say human beings should lay a hand on it?! How can you fools look upon that wall, that divine masterpiece beyond human knowledge, and still not comprehend?!"

Eren turned away, not wanting to hear the man keep on blabbering all the pointless shit that came out of his mouth. _"These idiots were the reasons the reasons why it took forever to get cannons mounted on top of the walls… what they say is nonsense, but they have widespread support and influence, which makes them dangerous."_ The half-demon shook his head in annoyance. _"I hate religion… and even now, everybody's putting their own interests first, when we tell them we put our lives on the line… why can't they just believe that?"_

Ignoring Pastor Nick's tantrum, Zackly's voice rang out through the courtroom and everyone was silent once more. "Let's move on. Next… I have a question for you, Eren."

Hearing his name, the white-haired teen immediately looked up and paid full attention to the commander-in-chief. "Sir."

Zackly fixed his glasses slightly, as he read from a new paper that had the mission report. "It seems you wish to join the Survey Corps… but can you continue as a soldier and use your power for the benefit of the human race?"

"Yes, sir. I can!" Eren nodded with a look of determination on his face.

"Is that so?" The old man narrowed his eyes at Eren, who raised an eyebrow in response. "According to the report on the recovery mission, a batch of demons… was the main cause for the operation to halt. Mikasa Ackerman, a fellow cadet of yours, almost got killed by those demons had it not been for your intervention." He finished looking at the report and turned to Eren again. "While your courage to step up against the enemy is commendable, if you are going to risk our soldiers to fight whatever those things are, then it won't be good to give you to the Survey Corps. You can be the reason why they could be wiped out by this new threat that is on our doorstep…"

While Eren was struggling to find an answer to Zackly's statements, Mikasa immediately turned towards Rico who was standing just beside her. The girl had an expression on her face that asked "Why?" and Rico only rolled her eyes.

"What? Lying won't help him get out of his situation either." Rico defended herself, since it was her who wrote the mission report of the operation, which was justifiable anyway. She was a soldier who was supposed to fulfill her duty with no questions asked.

Mikasa kept her gaze towards Rico for a few more moments before turning away. She couldn't possibly put the blame on Rico for what's happening to Eren. Mikasa knew better than that, and she understood a soldier's duties very well, being one herself. So, without any other choice, she looked up at Zackly and spoke up so that he would be able to hear her.

"Sir." She even raised her arm to get Zackly to notice her and luckily, it was enough for the old man to turn towards her. "With… regards to the mission report… I'd like to present my own stand… being the one directly involved in said conflict." she said in a normal tone, which was different from her usual voice that was shy and quiet.

"Very well." Zackly nodded as all the attention in the courtroom turned towards Mikasa. "Let's hear it from you, Cadet Ackerman."

Mikasa felt a bit uneasy being under everyone's intimidating gazes, but she was able to handle herself well thanks to Eren's reassuring look which was different compared to all the people in the room. After all, he knew what exactly happened during that time and just like how Mikasa puts her trust in him several times through the years, he can place his trust in her too.

"It's not Eren's fault that the demons nearly killed me." she admitted, causing the tension in the room to slightly rise. Zackly was intrigued with that, since he was only following the words of the written report, but not from the soldiers who were involved in it.

"What do you mean by that?"

"While… While the operation was underway, those demons… they prevented Eren from reaching the rock that was going to be used to seal the gate. I… simply wanted to help so that it would be over with quickly." Zackly's eyebrows raised, perhaps the operation didn't go exactly as what was described in the report he was holding. "Although I did manage to kill a few demons of my own accord,"

Now that got everybody thinking. _She _killed demons on her own? A young cadet like her? How was that possible? Minister Nick retained the scowl on his face, while Nile was quite taken aback. Even the emotionless Levi of the Survey Corps had raised an eyebrow slightly, paying more attention to what the girl was getting into.

"...their overwhelming numbers was something that was too much for my own abilities. If it wasn't for Eren… I would be dead." Mikasa continued, looking down with a defeated expression before turning back towards the commander-in-chief. "Sir, I believe those terms should be considered. It was never Eren's fault. It was my decision and as a soldier… I take responsibility for my recklessness in the battlefield. It will not happen again."

"I see. I will be looking more into that, but if that was truly the case, then I have a question." Zackly placed down the report and stroked his beard afterwards. "How were you able to kill those demons on your own? Surely this information will prove useful in the future against humanity's newest threat."

"The same way how we deal with titans, sir. Using the 3D maneuvering gear." Everyone's eyes went wide at that, except for Eren. It also sparked some fear across the few civilians that attended the trials. Did this mean that those 'demons' would be as unbeatable as the titans?

"Although unlike the titans… they can be killed by a sufficient number of blows dealt to them… they don't have a particular weak spot like the titans' nape… but still… Eren was able to get rid of them easily more than me… maybe because of his arm, which he used to protect me and our friend from cannon fire before the operation. That is all."

"Very interesting… yes, this is indeed helpful…" Zackly regained his composure after also being put in a state of surprise while listening to Mikasa's words. He turned his attention to the entire courtroom, before speaking in an authoritative tone. "Since no other soldier except for Cadet Ackerman here has had an encounter with a demon as of now, the information she has provided us shall be known as the protocol in dealing with that new threat as soon as this meeting is adjourned. Any other information shall be accepted as well. Do I make myself clear?"

All of the soldiers in the room saluted and yelled, "Yes, sir!"

Eren sighed in relief. He had a good feeling about this. The commander-in-chief acknowledging Mikasa's words meant something, and if this plays out the way he hoped it would, he won't be handed over to the Military Police because if he was, things would get ugly.

Zackly nodded "Now then, with that being said, let us decide what —"

"Pardon me, sir." Nile interrupted, holding another report in his hands. "But I'm afraid we aren't done just yet."

Eren rolled his eyes and had the urge to groan. Just when things looked like they were going well, this guy comes in to ruin the party. Can't the Military Police just leave him alone? This could very well add to one of the reasons why he didn't like the branch in the first place.

The old commander's eye twitched in annoyance, before he turned towards Nile. "I shall let this act of disrespect slide for the reason that I may be rushing this trial a little, Nile. Now what is it that you wish to add?" he said in a commanding tone that scared most of the civilians present.

"Forgive me, sir." Nile bowed his head slightly before proceeding to read the report in his hands. "But I wish to add in an interesting case that will enable us to take care of this dispute without any difficulty."

"And what is that?" Zackly raised an eyebrow.

"It is said here that Cadet Yeager was seen possessing a strange-looking sword while engaging both demons and titans in Trost, which was significantly different to the blades provided by the ODM gear. However, that is not what's suspicious about him."

Eren kept a sharp look towards Nile. He knew exactly what the man was referring to.

"Along with that sword, he was seen using two firearms in combat." Only the people from the side of the Police Brigade were in shock, while the Scouts and the Garrison looked unaffected. But Zackly was intrigued, to say the least. "Now, according to one of the laws of the military, only soldiers who belong to the Military Police Brigade are given authority to wield such weapons. Eren here is not a member of the Military Police Brigade, nor was he given permission to wield a gun by an official, as it would have reached me."

Eren wanted to answer in an attempt to explain things, but he opted to stay quiet instead. Talking right now might be a bad idea since he was still on trial and showing disobedience could be used against him.

"Of course, his reason for using firearms is understandable. It was for the benefit of the operation and secure the district… yet it raises doubts as to how did he acquire them. He couldn't have gotten them from any of the soldiers in the Brigade, nor could he have acquired them by going to the headquarters in Trost because the surviving cadets have sworn they didn't see Eren go there. He was too busy fighting against the titans." Nile looked up from the report in his hands. "If we don't even know everything about this child, should we entrust him with the lives, resources, and the fate of the human race?"

The atmosphere seemed thick in the courtroom, and silence followed afterwards. It seemed like nobody had an answer to Nile's statements. But as expected, the civilians from the side of the Military Police were the first to break the silence that ensued.

"That's right! H-He might be a titan that took the form of a child to infiltrate our society!"

"O-Or worse! He… He could be one of those demons that attacked Trost! Just look at his arm! He's pretending to be our ally to ambush the human race behind our backs!"

"Is this any time to be having a leisurely debate?" The man from earlier spoke up. "He's right in front of us, like a powder keg that can explode any minute! Those shackles mean nothing!"

If Eren was annoyed earlier, now he was worried. _"Shit… I better say something, or…"_

"That one, too!" The man pointed to Mikasa out of desperation, with a look of fear present on his face. His sudden action caused the girl to step back as well, as Armin held her arm just in case. "How do we know _she's_ human? If she killed those demons on her own, she must be something more than just a normal human being!"

"Yeah…"

"Just in case, we should dissect them both…"

More civilians from the side of Military Police were coming to an agreement, as they began to talk about how to deal with the two devils, as to how they put it. However, Eren wasn't going to have any of this.

"HEY!" Eren's voice rang out in the entire courtroom, getting the attention of the civilians and the soldiers too.

Not anymore.

He was fine with placing the blame on him, but to involve Mikasa in this… was something that he won't tolerate.

"You think you're the smart ones here? You can call me a devil all you want," snarled the teen as he glared at them. "But Mikasa has _nothing_ to do with it."

Mikasa's eyes widened as she watched Eren defend her from the delusional mob of civilians, as she began to calm down in her place.

"She's not involved. And what's more… everyone's just saying whatever speculation happens to be convenient to them! But once you've cut yourselves off from reality, it's all pointless!" he finished with a smirk.

"What…?" Pastor Nick voiced out with a look of disbelief on his face.

Even Nile looked equally shocked. "How dare you…?"

_"I don't care if I get in trouble anymore… no one insults Mikasa in front of me!"_ He thought, before snickering at their gobsmacked looks. "And in the first place… you people have never even seen a titan, nor a demon… so what are you so afraid of? What can we do when the people who have power don't fight? If you're afraid of fighting for your own lives, then help me! You cowards…"

He struggled against his own binds in an attempt to lean closer to the side of the Military Police Brigade. _"I'm going to tell them… everything I'm thinking… I'll tell these cowards…"_ Since he couldn't get any sort of leverage against his shackles, he simply leaned back, closing his eyes and roaring as loud as he could.

"Just shut your mouths… AND INVEST EVERYTHING **IN ME****!"**

…

…

…

What followed next was an absolute silence. Nobody could make another word after the teen's sudden outburst. His voice even turned somewhat inhumane at the end of his statement, which further increased the shock that everyone felt. While only a few soldiers from the side of the Scouts were forced to take a step back in fear, the whole side of the interior flinched in terror and some even fell to their knees and looked close to crying. While this was happening, Zackly showed interest more than surprise after hearing that change in the boy's tone.

"Y-You… devil…"

"Uh…"

"I… I…"

Those were only a few of the horrified reactions from the civilians, but Eren wasn't going to have any of it. They needed to be taught a lesson. Turning to the side of the MP brigade, he kept an indifferent look that sent chills up their spine.

"Stand ready!" Nile told one of his men.

"Sir!" The soldier aimed his rifle towards Eren shakily, showing his nervousness at facing some kind of monster.

***BANG!***

The gunshot rang all over the courtroom as the bullet hit the restrained teen directly in the face. Many have widened their eyes at what had just happened, including Zackly, Nick, Mike, Hange, and many of the civilians who were present in the courtroom. Some had even let out a scream of horror, while some had started letting out smiles upon realizing what transpired.

Nile, who was taken aback at Eren getting shot, immediately turned to his subordinate with an enraged look. "What are you thinking?! I did not tell you to shoot!" he lashed out at the poor soldier who looked scared for his life.

"I-I'm sorry, sir! I was just so scared!" The officer dropped the rifle in his hand and raised both hands in defeat.

"Eren!" Mikasa, with a worried look on her face, tried to jump over the barricade and rush over to Eren and save him while there was still time, but Armin kept his grip on her arm to prevent her from going anywhere. "Armin, let go! Eren is— MMPH!" The blonde quickly slapped his hand over her mouth to prevent her from speaking any further.

"Eren's not dead. Look." He reassured her before pointing to their friend in the middle of the room, where the half-demon slowly raised his head, revealing his unharmed face much to the disbelief of everyone who was present.

Eren turned towards the Police Brigade once more, with his glare being enough to make a few of them burst into tears and some to look at him as if he was the devil itself.

The white-haired demon gritted his teeth before spitting out something towards the side of the MPs. It was the bullet that supposedly hit him in the face!

"Tough guy, huh…" Eren spat out, before smirking at the terrified looks of the people there. "I'd like to see you—!"

***WHAM!***

A bone-crunching sound rang through the entire courtroom, as Levi kicked Eren across the face before the brat could even finish his sentence. It caught the teen off guard, but he was able to notice a tooth went flying after that one hit.

_"Was that my tooth that went flying?"_ Eren thought to himself, before he was pulled out of it as Levi sent his heel to the back of his head. The half-demon spat out some blood onto the floor before the strongest soldier grabbed him by his hair. Eren looked up at Levi with a small glare, before receiving a hard knee to the side of his face. At this point, the people from the side of the Brigade had stopped looking at Eren in fear and instead with shock at Captain Levi giving the kid a beating.

Mikasa tried to make a move for it once more, but Armin kept on holding her back, shaking his head. _"Just bear with it, Mikasa…"_ He felt bad for keeping Mikasa from interfering, but this was needed. It looked like he knew more than what any normal soldier does.

Eren collapsed to the ground, and Levi stepped on his head as a result. "This is just my opinion…" the captain said, driving his foot deeper into Eren's skull. "But I've always found pain the most effective punishment. The lesson you need to learn right now… can't be taught with words… only with action. And you're kneeling, which makes you easy to kick."

The teen let out a small scream of pain when Levi kicked him in the gut, after which Eren slowly looked up with a harsh glare on his face, which sent chills up the spines of those people in the side of the Military Police Brigade. They felt as if that glare was directed to _them_ more than anyone else.

As Levi planted his foot on Eren's face again, Nile stepped forward, reaching out with his arm. "Levi, wait…"

Levi turned to the chief of the MP Brigade with a bored expression. "What…?"

"...i-it's dangerous." Nile said, as he gulped in nervousness. "What'll we do if you make him mad, and he goes on a rampage?"

The captain tilted his head slightly as removed his foot from Eren's face, causing the teen to collapse again. "...what are you talking about?" He pulled up Eren by his hair, and the half-demon groaned in response. "You're the ones who want to dissect him, right?"

The soldier who shot Eren a while ago flinched, looking at the young man in fear even though he was all beaten up. He made no attempt to defend himself, and it caused Captain Levi to scoff.

"Heh…" Levi fully turned towards the MPs. "He apparently killed more than 20 titans before the operation took place, stopping only out of exhaustion. The fact that he was also the top cadet in his division makes him a formidable enemy. But he's not _my_ enemy… is he _yours_?"

Many of them, mainly the civilians, had turned away out of fear. The soldiers however, looked as if they handled the situation well, only for most of them to start looking down since they had no real answer if they had to be honest.

"Everyone who's persecuted him should think carefully, too. I wonder… could you really kill him? Think of how he spat out the bullet from your rifle earlier like it was nothing." Levi pressed on.

"Commander-in-chief… I have a proposal."

Erwin called out, causing Zackly to turn to him. This also got the attention of everyone else in the room. What did he have to say this time?

"There are many unknown elements behind Eren's true nature and abilities, including that right arm of his. Danger will always be lurking underneath the surface. Therefore, in the event that you decide to put him under our control…" Erwin turned towards Levi. "...I would pair him up with Captain Levi as a failsafe. Someone as skilled as the captain would be able to deal with Eren even in a worst-case scenario."

"I see…" Zackly slowly nodded, before turning his attention towards Levi as well. "Can you do it, Levi?"

"If you mean killing him, it's no problem." The captain sent a bored look towards the bloody teen, who returned it with a scowl. "I've never killed a demon before, but I am sure a clean decapitation is enough to deal with him if he tries anything."

Zackly took a deep breath and clasped his hands together. "I see we have exhausted this line of inquiry. I will now make my decision."

Alarmed, Nile quickly acted and spoke up before it was too late. Maybe there was still a chance to get what they wanted. "Please, wait!" Without even waiting for an answer from the commander-in-chief, the leader of the MP Brigade looked towards his fellow commander. "Erwin… I want to ask you. What will you do about the interior?!"

Erwin merely nodded towards his old friend. "I am quite aware that our activities outside the wall depend on the stability of the human race. I don't take the problems of the interior lightly." He turned his attention towards the teen who was bound in the middle of the courtroom. "So, let me propose… that to calm the public… we'll prove that Eren is a valuable asset to humanity in our next expedition beyond the wall. I would like to decide his future based on those results."

"I see… so you're going outside the wall…" Zackly nodded several times in understanding, as he seemed to have made his decision.

_"Anything to get them out of here now…"_

_"God willing, he'll die out there…_

_"Just get the devil out of my sight…"_

Those were only a few of the thoughts of the civilians from the side of the Brigade, and it was safe to say that all of them were looking forward to never seeing Eren again. Meanwhile, Nile could only scowl for losing this dispute, while his fellow officers somehow looked relieved. They didn't want to deal with the teen after seeing how intimidating the boy was.

"Then it's settled." Zackly closed his eyes and began to speak in an authoritative voice once more. "Eren Yeager is placed in the care of the Survey Corps. However, he may return here, depending on his accomplishments."

* * *

In one of the rooms of the entire building, Eren sat on the lone couch, applying some ice to the bruises he sustained from the beating he had received earlier. Of course, he knew that he would heal from this quite easily, but this would at least cool down the pain for now.

With him inside the room were Erwin Smith, Hange Zöe, Mike Zacharias, and Captain Levi. Mike was looking at the window, Levi and Hange looked like they were discussing something, while Erwin approached the teen on the couch.

"Damn, good thing I can heal from this…" the half-demon hissed, as he looked up at Erwin who seemed apologetic.

"Sorry about that…" The blonde man knelt down so that he was on Eren's level. "But you did get your point across the commander-in-chief and other VIPs, anyway."

"Right…" Eren muttered, while looking to the side.. Despite that, there was still some part of him that didn't like being used as a tool to get what others wanted.

"And that gave us the perfect chance to play the card we had up our sleeve. Believe me, it was worth the pain. You have my respect." Erwin reached out his hand for the teen to shake. "I look forward to working with you."

Although he still felt bitter about what happened, Eren accepted the handshake professionally. After all, he always wanted to join the Survey Corps. It was his dream ever since he was a kid. "Sir. Thank you for having me."

All of a sudden, Levi plopped down into the couch, crossing his legs and spreading out his arms, startling Eren for a bit before calming down.

"Tell me, Eren…" The captain turned to the teen with a serious look. "Do you hate me?"

If he had to be honest, Eren really didn't like that Captain Levi resorted to violence against him, even though he was aware of his healing factor. If it wasn't for him figuring out what Levi was really up to in the midst of getting beaten up, he would've broken free earlier and fight back. But regardless, Eren decided to be mature about it and just shook his head to answer the captain.

"No, sir." Despite not being entirely mad at Levi, he couldn't look at the captain right now. Maybe he could calm down after a good nap to forget about all this. "I understood that you needed to do what you did… otherwise the MPs would've taken custody of me after what happened when I was shot."

"Glad to know." Levi shrugged, satisfied with Eren's answer.

"You could've shown some restraint…" Hange commented, leaning closer to get a good look at Eren as she held a wet towel in her hand. "Look… he broke a tooth!"

Levi waved her off. "I'd say that beats getting dissected any day."

"Eren, show me your mouth." Complying, Eren opened his mouth and Hange leaned even closer to get a good look. "Incredible… your tooth… it's growing back…" Out of curiosity, the other soldiers in the room also leaned in close to see if she was telling the truth.

With that, Eren closed his mouth and just shrugged. "A simple tooth is nothing when your body can heal from almost any injury." He said like it was nothing, and to prove his point, he stopped using a cold compress on his bruises. That alone caused Hange to smile creepily as light shone in her glasses.

"Is that so…?" she chuckled darkly, before turning her attention to Eren's right arm. "We're gonna have so much fun then… I've only done titans, now I can't wait to start running tests on a demon~! Especially on that arm…" she actually drooled a bit upon staring at the demonic arm, before rushing out of the room as if she was being chased down by an abnormal titan.

Seeing how she was acting just now, Eren turned to Erwin with a conflicted look. "Should I be worried?" he asked.

"A bit. Hange is our top scientist, and she's always eager to perform experiments on titans that we captured in our expeditions. But you don't need to worry about anything life-threatening, she's not going to dissect you like what the interior police were planning. She just wants to learn more, that's all." Erwin smiled softly, before crossing his arms.

"That makes me feel somewhat better…" Eren snickered, before something important just crossed his mind. How could he have forgotten about _her_? His eyes widened upon remembering, before looking up at Erwin. "Say, commander… I'm a part of the Survey Corps now, right?"

Erwin nodded, before gesturing towards the captain. "That's right. You'll be travelling with Levi and his squad to headquarters as soon as you recover. The next expedition outside the walls is due to happen in a month and before that happens, we need to learn everything you know about demons, as well as your true nature and the extent of your abilities. Those are crucial if we are to take Wall Maria back from the titans, and now the demons as well."

"Alright, but… before I go with you, can I make a request?" Eren looked hesitant to ask for anything, since after all, he was in no position to do so in the first place.

"What is it?" asked Levi since from now on, Eren would be his responsibility; the things that come with joining Squad Levi.

Eren had his head down for a few moments before finally looking up, turning towards both Levi and Erwin. "I… I would like to visit my mom in Trost."

* * *

_**And that ends this long, long chapter! Eren is now in the Survey Corps, and is put in Squad Levi! But it looks like he wants to visit dear old Carla before doing anything related to the Scouts… what's gonna happen from there? Oh, I have a surprise for you all next chapter! Prepare for an old DMC character to be introduced, because things will start to get reaaaallly interesting from there. Excited? Tune in to find out!**_

_**I apologize if I took long, but classes have already started here and… oh boy, ashfall has begun where I am. The Taal Volcano is showing signs of eruption yesterday, and we are forced to stay indoors. Classes are even suspended. This will definitely hinder me, but not to worry! I'll keep on writing as much as I can.**_

_**Anyway, as promised, here is the list of devil arms that will be introduced in this fanfic, as well as their respective users. I may or may not add more, but we'll see.**_

_**Agni and Rudra - Levi**_

_**Cerberus/King Cerberus - Mikasa**_

_**Beowulf/Balrog - Annie**_

_**Nevan - Hange**_

_**Lucifer - Jean**_

_**Pandora - Sasha**_

_**Dr. Faust - Connie**_

_**Kalina Ann - Historia**_

_**I'm aware Kalina Ann isn't a devil arm, but I figured to add it to the list because it's still a weapon from the DMC universe that will be used by an AOT character. And as a bonus… here is a sample dialogue in the future from when Levi gets his very own devil arm!**_

_**TMCTMCTMCTMCTMC**_

**"Wait!"** Agni spoke up as he looked towards Levi, who merely turned around with a scowl. Didn't these loudmouths have enough? **"Yes, wait!"** He continued to call out, seeing that he had Levi's attention now. **"We have been waiting for a long time!"**

**"Yes, a very long time!"** Rudra called out as well.

**"For someone stronger than us."**

**"Someone who can control us."**

Feeling that this would be worth his time, Levi walked towards the two swords, the scowl on his face slowly disappearing.

**"My name is Agni."**

**"And my name is Rudra."**

**"You shall take us with you, we can be of great help to you!"** Both swords said at the same time, as Levi actually thought about it for a moment. Once he was done, he closed his eyes for a second before looking down at the two.

"Very well… but on one condition." He said, before glaring at them.

**"What is it?"** Agni said with eagerness in his voice.

**"Name it!"** Rudra said, excited to be with his new user.

"No talking." Levi ordered, pointing to each of them with each word.

**"Fair enough."**

**"As you wish."**

The captain then took both swords in each hands, before being quite amazed to see their flames and wind not affecting him anymore. He began spinning them around with trained ease, as if he was using his own ODM blades. No doubt that the swords and Levi suited each other as he wielded Agni and Rudra with incredible skill. He even combined the blades into one weapon, as the flames and wind created by the two became stronger and stronger with each swing.

His little demonstration came to and end after spinning around wildly like how he would do so with his 3D maneuvering gear, and creating a powerful vortex of fire and wind that ended with him striking a pose.

**"Impressive." **Rudra said, being reminded of Dante at that moment.

Levi bashed the two heads together, causing them both pain as the soldier glared at them. "No talking!" He ordered once again, and the two were silent as a pup afterwards. "Good." With that out of the way, Levi carried the two swords on his back before walking towards his horse.

_"The gate here is all but rubble… I better regroup with Erwin and the others, or else more demons are going to target the people." _Mounting his horse, the captain looked up the gigantic form of the Savior levitating in the sky. _"Eren, it's all on you now."_ He thought, before riding off.

_**TMCTMCTMCTMCTMC**_

_**How's that? Did it make you hyped? I hope it did! Ever since I began thinking of which characters to use devil arms, Levi using Agni and Rudra was already a given in my mind. Him using those two just fits so much. And I'm pretty sure you know what arc that dialogue is taking place if you notice what Levi said in the end. I just hope you tune in long enough for us to reach that part. For the others acquiring their own devil arms, you'll have to wait and see!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	21. Blue Rose

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

While wearing the cloak of the Survey Corps, Eren rode towards Trost with one goal in mind: to see his mother. Captain Levi gave him two days to settle everything he needed to do because once he officially starts as a soldier of the Scout Regiment, there will be no time for him to spend with his family, friends, or loved ones. Not to mention that because of the various expeditions done by the Survey Corps, only a few were lucky enough to return and reassure their families that they were safe.

He didn't waste any time and as soon as he recovered only a few hours after the trial, Eren immediately took off on a horse and headed for Trost. After two days, he would rendezvous with Captain Levi and his squad in the old Survey Corps Headquarters and begin his duties as a member.

But for now, he can focus on his family.

When the inner gate of the wall finally came into view, Eren pulled up his hood to conceal his identity. After what happened here a few days ago, he didn't want to attract any unwanted attention whether the people saw him as evil or not. Also, before leaving for this journey, he wrapped bandages around his right arm just to be sure that nobody can notice him.

He was here for one reason only.

Reaching the small town that was just before the wall itself, Eren got off his horse and led the way into the place on foot.

_"Looks like the titan issue here isn't over just yet…"_ Eren thought, seeing how civilians were all gathered in each of the empty houses there, with only soldiers occupying the road. From the looks of it, they were all working together to figure out what to do next in the aftermath of the successful operation a few days ago. _"I'll have to stay away from the road then, or they'll notice me and make me join in whatever it is they're doing. I just need to find mom in one of these houses here and steer clear of any officers."_

He led his horse to the back of one building, which is where he left his companion in order to proceed alone. Bringing along the animal would definitely attract attention, and it would give away his cover.

Eren peeked out from the various alleyways between the houses so that he could get a better look at his surroundings and see if his mother was around. Since almost everyone was outside the houses, either watching the soldiers or minding their own business, he'll be able to easily spot Carla if she was around. If he can't find her, then Eren would have to resort to checking out every house here to see where she was.

However, while he was doing his best to look for his mother among the massive number of survivors from the titans' attempted invasion of Trost district, his eyes also caught sight of a number of familiar faces among the soldiers who looked like they were about to go back to Trost.

_"Those soldiers… it looks like they're—?!"_ His eyes widened when he saw someone from his early days as a trainee, one whom he knew very well. _"Jean? Why do you have that cloth wrapped around your face? And why's everybody else doing the same thing?"_ Eren thought, noticing how all of the soldiers all had similar handkerchiefs covering their faces save for their eyes, as they slowly walked towards the inner gate of Trost district. _"It's not just him… Annie, Reiner, Bertholdt, Sasha, Connie, Krista…"_ After Jean, Eren saw the rest of his friends who all wore handkerchiefs on their faces in the same way, as they headed for the gate. _"Why are you all wearing those? And why are you heading back inside the district? Isn't it still considered dangerous to even go back there?"_

It seemed that his hard work would pay off, however, when he finally caught sight of his mother; she was just on the other side of the road, standing just outside the door to one of the houses there. Eren's eyes widened as she came into his view, and because of it, he almost forgot who and what he was for only a split second.

"Mom…" he muttered unconsciously, losing himself in his personal feelings momentarily. And how can he hold in something like that? It had been several years since he last saw her, and now she was there… just… across the street…

Regaining his composure, Eren figured out two options he could go with on this. He could either wait for these soldiers to finish marching into the district, or just teleport with his **Air Trick** to the other side of the road.

Actually, why was he even having choices like this? It was obvious what the safest and most convenient option is between those two options.

Focusing his attention to the alley just beside that house, Eren used his **Air Trick** to transport himself and in less than a few seconds, he found himself in his desired destination. Without even wasting time, he quickly fled towards the house where his mother was, who was just standing outside the front door.

Upon seeing him walk towards her, Carla only raised an eyebrow, unaware of who it was underneath the hood.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to go back inside Trost with your friends to clean up the place?" she asked, as if she didn't trust this soldier in the first place. How could she? The last time she saw her son was when he was being taken away from the district after the successful operation and she didn't even know where he was brought to.

Smiling slightly in response, Eren removed his hood and revealed himself to his mother, who widened her eyes and took a step back out of shock.

"E-Eren?"

The teen only smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hey, mom."

"Y-You… I… I saw… oh, my—!" Carla was truly at a loss for words, before bringing her son towards her in a tight hug, as if the two of them had been separated for a long time, which was true all the same. She couldn't exactly express the emotions she felt right now, because they were mixed but one thing was clear. She was happy to see her son again.

Eren hugged his mother back, truly feeling as if it was like an eternity had passed without them meeting. He was happy to see her doing well, without any harm coming to her, and for him that was enough to keep on doing his duty as a soldier.

Surprisingly enough, Carla broke off from the hug as she looked at the white-haired teen with an expression that was enough to tell Eren that she had been worried sick about him. "What happened to you, Eren? Where did those soldiers take you a few days ago?" she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.

While he was quite taken aback that his mother knew that he was somehow captured, Eren knew better than to discuss this while they were still outside.

"I'll tell you, but…" The half-demon glanced at both sides to see if anyone could hear him. Luckily, none did. "It can't be discussed out here. I can't be noticed by anyone else, especially by other soldiers. A-And the people around here will surely cause a ruckus if they find out that _I'm_ here."

Understanding what her son meant, Carla straightened herself and walked towards the door to the house. "Of course, dear. Come on inside, then we'll talk."

Eren followed his mother inside, and he quickly plopped down on one of the chairs there. He noticed Carla was in the kitchen, looking like she was preparing something, most likely tea. The teen shook his head in amusement; he would've told her not to worry about him, but opted not to. He missed her so much, and this was one way of making up for what they've lost. And besides, a cup of tea could help him calm down after recent events.

"So mom, is this your house now?" he began. Eren decided to ask something related to his mother first, before getting down to business and shift the discussion to him. It honestly felt kind of… good and relieving at the same time, to be around his parent again.

"Yes, after the whole titan thing in Trost, the civilians were told to relocate here and surprisingly, I was lucky enough to have this place on my own." Carla said from the kitchen, before she turned her head with a smirk, knowing that Eren can't see it. "Oh, and you may be a soldier, but you are still my son, young man. So don't think of this house as _mine_, because you live here as long as I am alive."

"I know that, mom…" Eren looked down and chuckled, already starting to forget about everything that troubled his mind lately: getting captured after sealing Trost, the trial over his custody, up to the unintentional beating that he received. As soon as he looked up though, he found his mother holding out a cup of tea for him. He accepted it as Carla sat down on the chair that was beside his, enjoying herself with her own cup of tea.

"So as I was saying, dear… why were you captured by your fellow soldiers? Weren't you the one who sealed the district?" As a mother, she knew that her son had grown considerably after years being in the military, and she had hope that he became more mature in many ways, even without her to guide him.

Eren was once again surprised with that. "You knew about that?"

"Of course I did." She shrugged, before sipping from her tea. "Everyone in town knew… well, at least part of it. After the news came out that the gate was sealed by a soldier all by himself, I knew it was you. But for everyone else, they thought it was a conspiracy and something more was behind something akin to a miracle."

"I don't know whether to be surprised that you figured out that it was me, or laugh at how the people of Trost are so close, yet so far." He chuckled in amusement once again.

"Well, for one thing, you are my son. I should be able to figure out when you're involved in something. And second, a soldier sealing a hole in the wall by himself? Did you think I can't find the answer to that? If I had to guess, you were able to do what you did because of that arm." she pointed out, setting aside her cup of tea before gesturing to Eren's bandaged arm.

Eren looked at his right arm for a few moments and sighed, before the events of the operation flashed through his mind as a brief memory. "I guess… though it wasn't just because of this. There was another thing that helped me." Carla had raised an eyebrow at that, but the teen shook his head to get it out of his mind. He had a feeling in his gut and it told him to not talk about the **Devil Trigger** right now, as he had a feeling that his mom might react _differently_.

Sure, she was able to take in the whole "Sparda was real and he had the blood of a demon inside him" but this was different. Maybe that can wait for another time. "But anyway, the reason why I was captured… it's simple. It's because many were freaked out by what I am."

"But how are you here? Don't tell me you escaped from them."

"Far from it, mom. I'm not a kid to do something stupid like that anymore." Eren almost had the urge to roll his eyes as Carla stifled a laugh. "Yesterday, I woke up in a cell while in chains, and got escorted to a courtroom where two sides had a dispute over who would take custody of a demon like me," he made sure to point to himself with that statement. "...moving forward. The Military Police wanted to get rid of me, while the Survey Corps wanted me in their ranks to take back Wall Maria."

Carla slowly started to put the pieces together. "Since you're here, I can only guess that the Survey Corps won the case… and you're wearing their cloak too, dear, so there's that."

Eren only leaned back and nodded.

"Well… it looks like the Survey Corps weren't as bad as I thought they were." Carla said in deep thought, remembering how she didn't want Eren to join the Scouts back when he was little. It felt a bit odd, to say the least, because things had taken a turn against what she thought and believed.

_"Told you." _Eren thought to himself with a hidden smirk.

"But dear, if you're a part of the Survey Corps now, then why are you here?" Carla asked, apparently becoming confused now. "Aren't you supposed to be outside the wall on an expedition?"

"The next one is happening in a month, and I'm actually supposed to be with my new squad." For now, he would keep the fact that he was under the command of humanity's strongest soldier as a secret. Plus, it wouldn't really make much of a difference. "But I told Commander Erwin that before I go with them, I would like to visit my mother first because it's been so long since I last saw her. I was given two days at max to settle everything before I return to my duties as a member of the Survey Corps."

"Aww, that's sweet of you, Eren." Carla said with a gentle smile. "Even after all these years, and even though you found out the truth, you still love your mother with all your heart…"

"Shut up, mom." He whispered, looking to the side so he could avoid getting embarrassed.

"What? It's the truth." She smirked at him. "And by the way, where's Mikasa and Armin? Don't they always stick around you wherever you go?"

"They've yet to pick a military branch to join. I was a special case in that aspect. Might be a few more days before they can choose, though… because I saw some of my fellow cadets going back to the district just earlier." He didn't want his mother finding out that those two were somehow involved in the trial he was in. She treated them as if they were her children too, and Eren definitely had _no_ intention of finding out how she would react.

Carla shook her head and smiled. "You know they're definitely going with you in the Survey Corps, right?" After that statement, a sudden thought, or memory, flashed through the woman's mind out of nowhere.

Eren sighed, as he could only imagine how slight the chances were of Armin and Mikasa joining the Military Police instead, or even the Garrison. "I don't like it, but… I guess that's what they'd most likely do. I'll have to bear with it and protect them in any way I can." He looked towards his mother, who looked like she was stuck in a trance. Eren frowned and leaned closer towards her. "Mom? You okay?"

"Oh, goodness!" she exclaimed, catching Eren off guard with her sudden outburst. "I almost forgot about her!"

Now this got her son confused. Who was she talking about, and why did she think about it while they were still discussing things?

"Her? Who are you talking about?" Eren asked with his eyebrow raised.

Carla quickly stood up and headed to the staircase, but not before turning to her son. "Eren, there's someone here who's been wanting to meet you a few days ago and she decided to stay here until by chance, you would show up or if she… wait, how did she say it, uh… when she senses your presence… whatever that means." The woman definitely sounded confused at the end of her statement, but she shook her head nonetheless and went up the stairs. "Just wait here, sweetie. I'll go get her."

_"Okay… so someone was here all along, and she… wants to meet me?"_ Eren said to himself, before looking down as he tried to think of who it could be. _"I've never known any other women in my life except for my mom, Mikasa, Annie, Krista, Sasha, and the rest of the female cadets in the Training Corps… there's no way that one of them made her way here since I saw all of them go back inside Trost… which means that…"_ He put his hand on his chin and came to a single conclusion. _"This person must have been watching me from a distance. I better be careful."_

"Eren, she's here." Carla's voice snapped Eren out of his thoughts as his eyes immediately caught sight of the woman standing beside his mother.

She was a tall and attractive woman with tanned skin. She also had deep emerald green eyes like Eren's and bright red hair put up in a braid over her left shoulder. She wore a white cape, brown leather gloves and various brown leather gear on her outfit that left her midriff exposed. Lastly, she had holsters for her blades, pouches for her throwing knives, as well as a series of leather clasps to help keep her cape in place.

All in all, she could be described as beautiful.

"Uhhh…" Eren was at a complete loss for words, as he unknowingly stared at the woman before him, an event that caused Carla to giggle. Yeah, and it also caused him to blush, just by looking at her outfit.

"It's a pleasure to meet you in person, son of Vergil." she said with a small bow. At this point, Carla decided to leave the two alone as she could tell that this was something she had no business meddling in.

"W-What…?" Okay, that cut him off his embarrassment for a bit. Did that woman say what he thought she did? If so, then… how did she know?

"You know of who your parents are, do you not?" The woman spoke in a slightly confused tone. "Your father was Vergil, who was known as the Darkslayer, and your mother —"

"I know who they are," Eren cut her off. "I've known ever since a few years ago. I'm… I'm just confused… how did you know?"

"I was a friend of Dante, your uncle…" With that, the teen's eyes widened in shock, just as the woman now had a look of sadness on her face. "...back when he was… still alive."

"So… So you knew my parents… and Dante too…" Eren concluded, before frowning slightly. "Then that means… you aren't human, are you?" He knew that Dante wasn't exactly the type to hang around humans, while his father only knew one human in his life, his mother, so that means that this woman… has something more to her.

"I am not a human, but my name is **LUCIA**." The sad look on her face disappeared, before she bowed again. "I am a demon made by human hands, more known as an artificial demon. I turned on my creator when he revealed his true purpose, and now I serve under a new leader."

Eren's face softened. So this woman, Lucia… was a demon too. Perhaps… he could now believe what she said about her being Dante's friend back then. He couldn't sense any malice in her presence and… he didn't miss the sad look on her face earlier. She looked _genuinely_ sad. However, that didn't stop him from being confused because of some matters. She must be someplace from beyond the walls, did she really come all the way here just to see him?

"Okay, then Lucia…" A serious look formed on Eren's face. "Why are you here? I'm pretty sure you didn't just come here to meet me."

Lucia nodded. "Of course. I'm here because of a request by another one of Dante's old friends. She wanted to give you something special of her own creation, like what she did for Dante in the past."

"And who was that?"

Lucia then pulled out a pistol from behind her before tossing it towards Eren, who managed to react in time and caught it with in his left hand. "Nell Goldstein, the legendary gunsmith who forged Dante's pistols, Ebony and Ivory. She wanted to do the same for you, Nero. It saddened her that Dante has long passed with his brother in the Underworld, but she wanted to honor the two of them by forging a gun of your own. Your gun, the **BLUE ROSE**,' was her final work before she passed as well. It was her dying wish for you to receive the Blue Rose. I was contacted by her granddaughter to do it, and here I am. You are the only being left in this world who has the blood of Sparda in his veins, and you will need all the help you can get to be ready for what is to come." she explained, also calling the teen by his birth name in the process.

As Lucia spoke, Eren slowly admired the gun in his hand, examining it closely. It was a unique revolver with an over and under barrel style, which would allow it to fire two rounds of bullets with each pull of the trigger. It had a 6-shot cylinder, a molded wooden grip, a design of a blue rose carved into the arm of the cylinder crane, and had the words "For Nero. By .45 Art Works" engraved on its barrel.

"This thing looks good… I've got to take this for a test run and see for myself." Eren said with a grin on his face, before turning back to the redhead before him but not before holstering his newfound gun. "Was that all you wanted to tell me? If so, then tell 'thank you' to Nell Goldstein for me. This baby will help me slay demons, that's for sure."

_"Sorry, Dante…"_ Eren apologized in his mind before smirking. _"Looks like I won't be using your girls anymore, at least not all the time. I have my own now, and all that's left is for me to have a sword of my own too. You were right. I have to be my own person."_

Lucia nodded before something crossed her mind for a moment. "I have one more gift I wish to impart to you before I go. I presume that the red coat you have received years ago is now too small for your size?"

"Wha…?" Eren was about to ask what else she wanted to leave him, only to stop completely upon hearing the end of her statement. And how did Lucia even know about _that_? The coat that he always wore as a kid was a gift left on their doorstep with no note on who it came from… unless… unless…

"H-How did you—?" he breathed out in disbelief, as a smile slowly formed on Lucia's face.

"I was the one who left that coat on your doorstep years ago," she revealed. "You were just a little boy at the time. You had a free spirit like Dante and at the same time, you inherited a cold and calculating demeanor from your father. You took up traits from the both of them, and as the last remaining member of Sparda's bloodline, it is up to you to continue what your family did for decades." Lucia then summoned a magic circle and through it, she pulled out a blue coat before presenting it to Eren. "Within the past few days, I was able to gain knowledge of another known monster lurking these lands called the 'titans'. Is that correct?"

Eren could only nod dumbly, while keeping his eyes directed towards the coat in Lucia's hand.

"Then you have a massive burden on your shoulders, Nero. However, you are the only one who is capable of defending the people here from demons and those titans. The fate of the people in these walls rests upon you, son of Vergil."

A look of determination then spread across Eren's face, as he reached out to take the coat from Lucia.

"Words can only go so far," he began. "But I swear, I will not let the demons nor the titans wipe out what's left of the people in these walls, and I will do what I must." He clenched his fists tightly. "In the name of my father, my uncle, and my grandfather… I _will_ protect my people from _them_."

Lucia smiled at him. "Then my business here is done." she stated, which caused the teen to look at her in confusion. "My only objectives here were to deliver that gun, and present a new coat to you. Now, I must return. I am needed somewhere else."

"Then before you go…" Eren smiled at her in return. "I'd like to say thanks. You didn't have to go all the way here to do this, but you did. It's not something that happens everyday too. Will we ever meet again?"

"I was only doing my duty, but you are welcome. And perhaps in the future, our paths may cross once again, Eren Yeager." Lucia bowed once more and headed for the door with being left wide-eyed at hearing her use the name that his adoptive parents gave him. However, before she could leave the place, she turned towards the white-haired teen one more time. Much to his confusion, the woman had a teasing smirk on her face.

Eren frowned all of a sudden. "What is it? Forgot something?"

"A word of advice. It is said that Sparda himself had many women as his lovers when he was alive, only to settle down with only one in the end. Just remember to be there for _them_ when the time comes."

Lucia could only giggle at Eren's gobsmacked expression after her 'advice' before continuing on her way out, and leaving the teen standing frozen in his place.

Okay… what the hell was she talking about? What was with that 'advice'? Why would Lucia even talk about something like _that_? So what if Sparda had many lovers?! Why would he have anything to do with that…?! He wasn't his grandfather… right? Then…why would Lucia even offer him advice like that?!

Too many questions ran through Eren's mind that he didn't even notice his mother was tapping his shoulder to wake him up from that trance.

"Are you alright, Eren?" Carla had a look of concern on her face, just as her son snapped out of it and looked at her with a confused expression.

"What…?"

"That girl's name was Lucia, right? Did she just leave?" Carla asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

Still affected by what the redhead told him just a while ago, all Eren could do was shrug, but he looked quite conflicted as he did so. "Uh… I guess?"

"Well, that's a shame." she shook her head and crossed her arms. "I already made lunch and even made extra for her to join us on the table."

"Yeah…" He could only look down, internally cursing Lucia for making him feel like this. _"I don't know how could that count as damn advice! I'm not like that at all! Damn you, Lucia!"_ He shouted in his mind, almost being tempted to stomp all over the floor out of frustration.

The woman raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "What's going on with you, dear? You look like you've just been given 'the talk'. Come on, I made lunch and since Lucia already left, you're eating with me alone, young man." With that, Carla headed for the kitchen with Eren having no choice but to follow, while hiding an annoyed expression from his mother.

_"Still… I wonder what the hell was that all about…"_ he thought, feeling as if Lucia wanted to tell him something, but decided to be indirect about him.

* * *

_**And that ends this chapter! This was just a small filler chapter dedicated to introducing Nero's Blue Rose, his signature pistol from the DMC games. Now, it will become his personal firearm instead of Ebony and Ivory. All that's left is for him to get Red Queen but how will that come to be? Also, Lucia from DMC2 makes a small appearance by giving Eren his new gun and it is revealed that she was the one who gave Eren his red coat (refer to Chapter 1), before giving him a new one. Next chapter, we'll be focusing back on the main story and finally get started on the Female Titan arc. Excited? Tune in next chapter!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	22. What Should I Do Now?

_**R.I.P. Kobe Bryant, you were my most favorite NBA player ever. R.I.P. to Gianna as well, and to everyone who was on board that helicopter. You will be missed! :'(**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

_"That was dirty, you jerks." Jean grumbled, as he took a sip from his canteen. "I found the target first…"_

_"Huh?" Connie voiced out in confusion as he drank from his own water canteen._

_"Dirty?" Sasha remarked, looking at Jean with a smirk on her face. "I didn't take you for a whiner, Jean. Is there a rule against stealing someone else's prey?"_

_The cadets were just finished with their field training for today, and that was to slay makeshift titans inside the forest, all while practicing their skills with the maneuvering gear too. Jean was sitting on one of the tree logs that were simply placed on the ground, with Connie, Sasha, Marco, and Eren all around him._

_"Y-Yeah!" Connie suddenly pointed towards Jean with an accusing look. "It's your fault for letting us get to it!"_

_Jean only scoffed. "Pfft… I don't understand people who've been hunting their whole lives."_

_Marco looked around nervously, particularly at his fellow cadets. "Oh well… at least nobody got hurt during the test."_

_Eren frowned slightly at the freckled teen. He noticed Marco was acting quite differently earlier compared to the others, and so he decided to look into it more._

_"Hey, Marco?" Eren called out. "Even when you found the target first, it looked to me like you let other people score the points… you want to get into the Military Police Brigade, right? Don't you want them?"_

_"Mmm…" Marco rubbed the back of his neck as he pondered over it. "Well… I think competition is necessary in the group to raise our skill levels… but I can't help thinking about actual fighting. I'm the slowest one here… so I thought I should attract the titan's attention and let the others take them down from behind, even though that's pointless in a test that measures our ability to kill a titan… and even though I've wanted to join the Military Police Brigade ever since I was a kid…"_

_Jean, Connie, and Sasha all looked at him in slight concern, as Eren gave him a pat on the shoulder with his bandaged arm before smiling._

_"I see… in other words, you're a natural leader."_

_"What…?" Marco asked in confusion._

_"I think it suits you. That kind of efficient thinking and quick-wittedness… I wouldn't mind being in a squad you were leading." Eren shrugged._

_"Hm, well if Eren's gonna join Marco's squad, then count me in too! I think we'd have a chance to survive that way!" Sasha exclaimed with a huge smile on her face._

_Marco blushed in embarrassment. "Y...You think…?"_

_"A squad for a hypothetical raid on Trost District?" Jean said, looking up at them. "I'd jump on the Marco bandwagon. In any case, I'd want to avoid being in a squad with a suicidal blockhead. I'd be dead within 10 seconds if that was the case…"_

_"Wait just a minute," Eren interrupted with a scowl. "If you want to insult me Jean, at least tell it to my face directly. I don't like it when someone's being indirect about me."_

_"That so?" Jean said in a disinterested tone._

_"Okay, okay, you two…" Marco tried to break them up before something worse could happen._

_"Blockhead?" Connie said in confusion, having no idea what Jean meant._

_"Oh, just come right out and confess your love already, Jean…" Sasha teased._

_"...?!" Marco's blush deepened. "I thought everybody had forgotten about that already!"_

_However, Jean didn't look like he was affected whatsoever. "You're one to talk, Potato girl… why don't _you _try doing that instead? Everyone knows you got the hots for you-know-who." he fired back, causing Sasha to become silent and start stuttering as her face turned bright red._

_Eren turned to the embarrassed girl with a concerned look, before glaring at his rival afterwards. "Sasha? Are you okay? Hey, did Jean offend you or something?"_

_"Hey, Jean? I don't remember learning a move called 'suicidal blockhead'..."_

_"Shut up, Connie."_

_Eventually, Sasha had walked away from everyone due to her embarrassment getting the better of her, with Eren accompanying her on the way back. The half-demon made a mental note to get back at Jean next time for doing this to Sasha. Connie decided to tag along with them since he had nothing else to do as the remaining cadets in the forest each got out one by one._

_"Ahhh… I'm worn out…" Jean yawned, as he stood beside Marco watching their fellow cadets._

_The freckled boy seemed to be deep in thought, thinking about the conversation earlier about him being a leader. He looked a bit conflicted before finally letting out a sigh as he turned to face his friend._

_"Jean, I think you'd make a better leader than me." Marco spoke out._

_"Me?" Jean looked at him as if he had gone crazy. "You've gotta be kidding. I'm not brave in the least. What made you think that?"_

_"Well… don't get mad when you hear this…" Marco smiled nervously. "But Jean…"_

* * *

"Hey…"

Jean's eyes widened and his mouth hung agape behind the facial mask he wore, as he stared at the body that lay before him.

"Is that… Marco?"

Marco's head was leaning against the wall, with almost half of his upper body missing as he laid in a pool of his own blood. The signs were clear that he had been murdered by a titan.

"Trainee, do you know his name?" A woman wearing a long white dress with the same mask approached Jean, while writing down notes on the pad she was carrying. However, the cadet didn't even seem to notice her.

"I wasn't gonna look… but…" Jean held his head as if he was going through a phase. "I can't believe that happened… to him… M...Marco… what happened?" He turned around looking for help, looking desperate for answers on what happened to his friend. "S...Somebody… anybody… see what happened here?

The woman went towards Jean once more. "What's his name? If you know it, answer me right now."

That was enough for the teen to turn around to face her.

"Trainee, do you understand? Two days have passed since the wall was plugged up with the rock. But we're still collecting bodies. At this rate, there's a risk of contagious disease. We have to prevent a secondary disaster." She leaned in closer towards Jean. "Right now, there's no time to mourn your fallen comrades. Got it?"

Jean looked at her incredulously for a few more moments before turning back to his deceased friend. "104th Training Corps… member of 19th squad… Marco Bott…" he mumbled out.

The woman wrote down everything Jean said on her pad. "Marco… it's a good thing you know his name. Let's continue working."

From another part of the town, Sasha Braus had an overwhelmed look on her face as a pile of dead cadets was before her. Nearly all of the bodies were mutilated and several body parts were all over the place. To top it all off, blood was everywhere and just the sight of what's before her made the girl want to throw up what she ate for breakfast.

"What… What _is_ this…?" she whispered to herself.

"Shit… titan puke…" Another cadet said as he covered his mouth even though he already had a mask. "I guess they don't have intestinal tracts… so once they've had their fill, they upchuck all the bodies like this.

"...Oh god…" Sasha had to turn away and close her eyes since she didn't want to lose her sanity like this.

"Shit… we'll never be able to tell who's who like this!"

In the neighboring street, a blonde girl was continuously muttering to herself as she looked at the bodies of her fellow soldiers almost everywhere.

"I'm sorry…"

She couldn't move from her place, seemingly frozen by the sight of what's around her. Her eyes were wide open in shock too. However, the strange thing was that she had removed her mask, and it seemed as if she had gone insane talking to herself.

"I'm sorry…" Annie mumbled to herself.

"There's no point in apologizing. Let's hurry up and get the funeral over with." Reiner said, who was transporting a nearby body with a stretcher.

Bertholdt, who was also with them transporting a dead soldier, turned his head slightly towards the blonde man as though he got the message.

Reiner frowned. "After all the training we did…"

* * *

"Endurance runs…"

"Horse-back riding…"

"Unarmed combat…"

"Lectures on strategy…"

"Technical skills…"

"Vertical maneuvering skills…"

Connie sat on the ground, holding his head with both hands as tears formed in his eyes.

"We worked so hard… we did… so much…"

The remaining cadets who were still alive after the horrifying raid in Trost by the titans could only watch as the bodies of their comrades were burned in various piles. At the end of the day, the number of soldiers who died reached up to 300, with at least half of them being young cadets who had no choice but to fight and die in the line of duty, in order to protect humanity inside the walls.

"Was it all… for nothing…?"

Krista, who was beside Ymir the whole time, slowly approached Connie and attempted to comfort the poor boy by patting his back softly.

"We can't change what happened, Connie." she spoke, with tears forming in her eyes as well. "I'm sad too that our friends had to die while we were just doing our duty as soldiers… but all we can do now is to ensure none of this happens ever again…"

Jean looked at Connie for a few moments, as he deeply understood what his fellow soldier meant. After all, it was _him_ who had the desire to join the Military Police Brigade in the first place, and yet he was still alive until now… he felt as though it should be him who died… not… not…

_"We all regret it."_ He thought, kneeling down and touching the soil. _"If we'd known we were going to be dropped into hell like this, we wouldn't have chosen soldiers. Right now, when we're exhausted and can't go on… that's the only thing in our heads." _He then looked at his open palm with soil. _"Hey… Marco… I don't even know… which bones are yours."_

Jean took a glance at Reiner, Annie, Bertholdt, Sasha, Krista, and Ymir. _"If I hadn't become a soldier and met you guys… I wouldn't have to worry about who's next."_

_"Tell me… what's so good about giving up? Is it better to escape from the reality that you're seeing, Jean? Up to the point where you're throwing all your hope?"_

_"I don't need you to tell me that, asshole."_ Jean frowned before letting out a sigh, remembering Eren's words during the night of their graduation ceremony. _"I know I have to fight… but I'm not gonna be an idiot like you… not everyone…"_ His frown broke into a sad expression. _"...can decimate titans easily like you."_

_"Don't get mad when you hear this… but Jean…"_

Jean's eyes widened as he recalled a memory of him and Marco talking after one of their training exercises.

* * *

_"...you're not a strong person… so you can really understand how weak people feel."_

_"...what the hell?" Obviously, Jean felt confused. Was Marco trying to mess with him or something._

_"But you're also good at recognizing what's going on at any given moment."_ _Marco continued, gesturing to his brain to show his point. "You know exactly what needs to be done. I mean… most humans are weak, including me… but if I got an order who saw things like I do…"_

_Jean widened his eyes as Marco spoke, as he didn't expect any of this to come from his friend's mouth. It didn't feel like Marco was comforting him for losing to Eren again, but rather… it felt genuine._

_"...no matter how tough it was, I'd do my damnedest to carry it out."_

* * *

Jean looked up towards the piles of bodies that burned before them, as an image of his friend Marco appeared in his mind.

_"What… should I… do now?"_

He clutched his fist tightly to the point that the soil beneath his fingers were crushed, before standing up and walking towards his fellow cadets.

"Hey… you guys…"

All of them, even Connie who looked up with teary eyes, turned towards Jean as he spoke.

"Have you decided which branch of the military… you're gonna apply to?" He raised his fist and gritted his teeth, with determination clearly seen in his features. "I've decided… I… I'm…"

None of them were prepared for what he had to say next, because it was the last thing they would expect to hear from someone who talked about joining the Police Brigade for three years.

"I'm gonna join the Survey Corps."

* * *

***BANG! BANG! BANG!***

"Eren, can't you tone it down even a little? You could attract the attention of the people in town." Armin sighed, resting his forehead on his hand as he sat on a nearby rock.

"Stop worrying, Armin. You'll end up attracting the people even more." Eren turned to his friend and answered him with a smirk as he blew the smoke off of the newest addition to his arsenal, the Blue Rose. Armin just rolled his eyes and turned away to ignore his white-haired friend.

The following day after Eren went back to Trost to visit his mother, he was surprised to see Armin and Mikasa showing up in his home early in the morning. It turned out that the two cadets only remained in the interior for formality, and that they were supposed to return to Wall Rose since they have yet to choose a specific military branch to join. However, the two decided to pay a visit to Eren's mother first, so they were equally surprised at seeing their friend a few hours earlier.

"But, Eren…" Mikasa said, watching the half-demon from a distance. "D-Don't you think you might be getting carried away with this…? I thought you only wanted to see how that gun works?"

"Come on, Mikasa." He shrugged his shoulders before continuing to shoot the trees before him, loving the sound of every bullet round that he fired. "If you were in my place, you'd see how fun this is."

Mikasa pouted in slight irritation despite the blush that formed on her face. She may get easily embarrassed around Eren easily, but she was still a girl and there were times where she could be just that. But then, a sudden thought came to mind as she gazed at the revolver in Eren's hand. "Wait… where… where did you even get that? I...I don't think I've seen it before."

Hearing Mikasa's words, Armin turned back towards Eren and took a closer look at his pistol. "Yeah… yeah, you're right. And come to think of it, it's not the same as the guns that Eren had a few days ago… I remember you having two of them, and that isn't anything like those two."

Eren then stopped shooting so he could turn towards his friends. "That's because this isn't. I won't tell you who it is for your own safety, but someone gave this to me as a gift so I could deal with demons when the time comes. I haven't used it on demons yet, but it might happen sooner than you think. The guns that you're talking about must be these two." He holstered his newly-acquired pistol before summoning Ebony and Ivory, twirling them around in his hands.

"Yeah, those. I'm still wondering how you can make them show up nowhere…" Armin took a closer look at Eren's black and white handguns before he noticed something weird. "And where do you get the bullet rounds for them? I don't see you having spare bullets anywhere yet you've been carrying those guns all the time."

"Well to answer your first question, these babies along with my swords are bounded to me thanks to my right arm. That means I can call for them to come to me anytime I want. Second, my guns are custom-made so that they don't require real bullets to work. They convert the demonic energy in my body into bullets that are very effective against demons." Eren explained while doing a few poses with the pistols.

"That's… That's amazing, Eren…" Armin breathed out in astonishment. Even Mikasa was amazed with what Eren explained. Who knew that demons had the power to do that? It made them realize that there was so much more they have yet to discover. "Can… Can I see it?" Armin asked, a bit nervous since it was Eren's property, after all.

"Sure, come on." Eren nodded and gestured for his friend to come closer. Armin wasted no time and ran over towards where Eren was, before taking one of his pistols and examining it carefully.

As soon as it was on his hand, Armin immediately noticed the "For Tony Redgrave" engraving on its side, and it made him confused. That wasn't Eren's name, nor did he know of anyone like that. This was his friend's gun, right?

"Eren, who's Tony Redgrave? Why isn't your name here instead?"

"Let's just say he's someone special, and you'll figure it out when the time is right. There are other people who also deserve to know the full story other than you two."

Understanding his words, Mikasa and Armin nodded. The blonde-haired boy went back to examining the gun, looking at its other features aside from the engraving. "This feels a lot more comfortable than those rifles that the Military Police Brigade use… and you can carry these, uhh… what do you call these guns again?"

"Their names are Ebony and Ivory," Eren explained as he handed Mikasa the other one, who did the same thing as Armin. "They're custom-made M1911 pistols, or in general, handguns. Let's see… oh yeah, Ebony is designed for rapid-fire shooting while Ivory is for long distances and comfort. Together, they can store enough of my demonic energy for more powerful shots."

"Wow… the one who designed these guns must be a genius. " Armin said in amazement once again, and Eren chuckled at that. He knew it was true in every aspect.

"Yes… to make weapons such as this… can we even be sure that the person who made these isn't a demon like you, Eren?" Mikasa smiled.

The white-haired teen shook his head in amusement. It was rare to see Mikasa like this, but every time it happened, he made sure to treasure it. "She's not a demon. She's just… really smart for an average human." He answered. _"Although I wish I could've met her just once…" _he continued in his thoughts.

"Whoever she is, she's a remarkable smith." Armin continued, testing out the pistol without shooting anything. He smiled at Eren afterwards, without knowing that his finger had rested on the trigger. "This thing must be more —"

***BANG!***

Unknowingly pulling the trigger, he fired a round that was fortunately aimed towards the ground. Armin yelped and quickly jumped in his place out of shock, even throwing away Ebony as if the gun could kill him.

Mikasa was caught off guard with what just happened, before checking to see if Armin sustained any wounds despite not being harmed whatsoever. However, Eren remained passive, having only a frown of confusion on his face as he stared at his friend. The shot left a mark on the ground, which also cut through some of the grass, and it could only mean one thing.

"I-I didn't mean to, Eren! I swear, it was an accident! I didn't notice I was pulling the trigger!" Armin quickly turned to Eren asking for forgiveness, while raising his hands up in defeat.

But instead of being angry like what the blonde teen expected, Eren simply picked up Ebony from the ground and actually handing it back towards Armin! "Hey, can you try shooting with this again?" he asked, genuinely confused more than Armin himself.

Wait… did Armin hear him right? "W-What?"

"Try using this again, and aim for that tree this time. I just want to check something." Eren pointed to the tree that was in the distance before them.

"W-What are you trying to do?"

"Take the gun and pull another round, I need to check something." For some reason, Eren became more serious than he was just a second ago.

"Eren, what are you trying to—"

"Just take the damn gun and shoot that tree!" The white-haired teen heightened his voice this time, and it scared Armin enough to do as he was told. Taking Ebony from Eren's hand, the blonde-haired boy aimed for the tree in front of them and shot several times, each one leaving a small imprint on the bark.

After a few seconds, Armin finally calmed down and lowered the gun, but not before sending a nervous glance towards Eren. Seeing his friend in obvious distress, the half-demon quickly acted and took Ebony from him and flashed an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that, Armin…" Eren said as he patted the blonde on the back. He tried to be a sincere as possible, but the look on his face said that he was hiding something. "I needed to check if you can still shoot a gun even though we're now soldiers," he lied as he turned his head to the girl that was with them. "Speaking of which… Mikasa, can you test out something for me?"

"Eh…?" Mikasa voiced out in confusion before walking closer towards Eren. "W...What is it that you want me to do…?"

Eren, or known by his birth name Nero, grew serious all of a sudden as he summoned Yamato into his right arm. His friends' eyes widened naturally with what he did, but only Armin reacted in a different way as he got a closer look at the katana that Eren held.

"T-That sword!" Armin cried. "I remember that! You used it when you were fighting those armored creatures back in Trost, and…" he trailed off, remembering what his friend was capable of doing with it.

"And what, Armin…?" Mikasa asked, a bit shaken that Eren literally made a sword appear out of nowhere. However, she knew that this was something she would have to be used to seeing.

"I… I can't explain it, but… it looked like… Eren was slashing _through_ air itself." Armin explained it as best as he could, getting Mikasa to widen her eyes while the white-haired demon chuckled since his friend was a bit _close_ with the description he gave.

"Good thing you remember, Armin. Now let me explain." Eren then began to tell more details about the sword he was holding. "This sword was originally one of the Dark Knight Sparda's weapons. Its name is Yamato, and it is said that Sparda used this sword, or katana rather, to separate the human world from the demons."

To say that Armin and Mikasa were both shocked was an understatement. Upon hearing that the katana that Eren was holding was once a weapon used by Sparda, whom they only knew from an old legend, they couldn't help but be shocked _and_ amazed. They were shocked because that weapon was just in front of them and amazed that it was actually real despite being only known as an old story. Sure, Ere himself, the demons, and those guns he had were enough proof of it but this actually solidified it.

However, a sudden realization struck Armin's mind. "Hang on…" he muttered, before he looked at Eren with a confused expression. "You said that Sparda used that sword to separate our world from the demons. If that was true, then… then why did demons appear in Trost a few days ago?"

"That's because nothing lasts forever." Eren sighed before continuing, unknowingly repeating the words that his uncle had spoken towards him. "After Sparda sealed Mundus and the demons like in the legend, he lost the majority of his power and through the years, demons began to appear again. They have a new purpose now, and that is to hunt down every single one who bears the blood of Spards in their veins… that's why they came to Trost… they wanted to get to me. However, it doesn't mean that you two or any other human is safe from them. Got it?"

Mikasa slowly nodded, remembering how the demons had no problem turning their attention to her during the operation to retake Trost District. Armin thought about it for a few moments, but eventually nodded in understanding as well.

"What are you going to do about it, Eren? Considering what happened in Trost, the demons will be back, won't they?" he asked, also knowing that his friend was the only one capable of dealing with this problem.

"I'll deal with it as it comes along," Eren shrugged as he pointed to the insignia he bore on his uniform. "For now, I just want to stay focused on my new duties as a member of the Survey Corps." His eyes widened slightly upon realizing something as he shook his head furiously. "Alright, we've gone out of topic for long enough. Mikasa, I need you for this."

Hearing her name, the raven-haired girl then turned her full attention towards Eren, as the white-haired teen unsheathed Yamato slightly before presenting it to her. Mikasa widened her eyes slightly. Why was he giving it to her?

"I want to test something that I've been thinking about for some time now. Take the sword and try using it as you would an ODM blade." He told her, holding out the katana with one hand.

Mikasa nodded, understanding what Eren wanted her to do. In all honesty, she had never used a sword like this, even during their training days, but it wouldn't hurt to try. She took a deep breath, takiny Yamato from his hand before moving to a safe distance away from them as she gripped the handle tightly.

While Armin looked a bit worried that his friend might end up hurting herself since this was an _entirely different_ sword, Eren actuallly had a serious expression on his face. His eyes darted towards Mikasa's hand that held the katana's handle tightly.

With one last look to her friends, especially towards Eren, Mikasa unsheathed Yamato and delivered a few slashes before her before stopping all of a sudden, wondering if she was doing it right as she turned to the two teens who were watching her.

Armin only nodded while Eren gave her a thumbs-up, before she looked at the sword on her hand. A small smile then made its way to her face afterwards. Becoming more comfortable, the girl performed several more slashes in front of her, before turning around and focusing on a different direction with her attacks.

As they watched Mikasa learning to use Yamato slowly, Armin crossed his arms as a smile spread across his face. "Well, look at this… Mikasa… truly is a fast learner, isn't she? If she wasn't such a shy person, she might have beaten Reiner for the second place in our top ten. But… you might want to make her stop before she goes too far, Eren…"

Unfortunately, as Armin spoke, Eren only paid attention to how Mikasa wielded his katana without any drawbacks or anything. He remembered clearly from Dante himself that only those with demonic blood in them have the ability to wield devil arms like the Yamato; the sword's natural energy was also capable of harming those who try to wield it without having demonic blood in them.

So… how can Mikasa use it without getting hurt by the sword itself?

Eren narrowed his eyes. _"Something is definitely wrong here… first, Armin can shoot my guns which literally _needs _demonic energy to work. And now, this."_ He watched as Mikasa finally ended her little demonstration, sliding the sword back into its sheath. His eyes quickly darted to the tree that was the nearest to the girl, where he took notice of the faint slashes across its trunk, causing his eyes to widen.

_"Mikasa can use Yamato, and its demonic energy is not even reacting to her… in fact, she can already utilize what the sword can do, even if its considerably weak as of now…"_ He turned his attention back to the girl who was walking back towards them with a smile on her face.

"How… How did I do…?" she asked nervously, yet a twinge of confidence could be felt from her as well, as she handed the Yamato to its owner.

Shaking off his seriousness, he took back the katana and flashed a smile of his own. "You did better than I expected. That was good for your first time using this." He told her with Armin nodding in agreement, before the blonde-haired boy spoke up as well.

"Mikasa, that was…"

As Armin spoke to Mikasa about what she just did, Eren's thoughts drifted off once again as he looked at the devil arm in his hand before it disappeared. _"I've known Armin ever since we were little kids, and I've known Mikasa for years now… even when Dante showed me who I really am… I've never noticed anything off about them. I don't even sense any demonic energy from either of them. So how…" _He looked at his two friends in confusion.

_"...how can they use devil arms despite being humans…?"_

* * *

_**And that ends this chapter! I know I said that we're supposed to start the Female Titan arc in this chapter, but it looks like that will happen in the next chapter instead. I'm sorry for that, but did you get what happened in the end of this chapter? Looks like there's another mystery for Nero to solve! How exactly can Armin and Mikasa use devil arms? Aren't they human? Or… something more? Come on, every Attack on Titan fan knows what is the name used to refer to the people inside the walls.**_

_**Anyone who can guess it right gets a cookie! Now go straight to the reviews and give your answer! Bonus points to the person who manages to give an explanation, lol.**_

_**Anyways, in other news, Jean has made his decision to join the Survey Corps after Marco's sudden passing. I never understood why he was killed in canon, but I think it was just for the plot. What's gonna happen next? Find out next time on Titan May Cry!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	23. Special Operations Squad

_**Sorry if this took long, but finals is here so I'm filled with activities to do if I want to graduate. Don't worry, I will still update and see to it that this story becomes better and better.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters...**_

* * *

_It took a full day to mop up the remaining titans who'd been sealed up inside Trost District._

_The cannons that were fixed on the wall never stopped firing that day._

_Most of the titans swarming around the wall were killed with high-explosive projectiles…_

_Those that were left were eliminated by the Survey Corps…_

_And the last two titans were successfully captured alive._

* * *

"The former headquarters of the Survey Corps. The facility is no more than an old converted castle. Charming in its way, sure…"

Riding through the forest on horseback were Eren Yeager, Captain Levi, his subordinate Petra Ral, and three other soldiers who all bore the same symbol of the Survey Corps on their cloaks. They were looking at a big castle in the distance which was apparently abandoned and looked quite ancient from their position.

At the rear end of the group, there was a man with long blond hair that had a bun folded at the back of his head along with a beard. He wore a standard soldiers' uniform like all of those with him. He was **ELD JINN**, another one of the captain's subordinates.

Next to him was a man of average height with a slightly darker skin tone. He wore a short crop of brown hair that was kept to a point on the back of his head. His name was **GUNTHER SCHULTZ**, another member of Captain Levi's Special Operations Squad.

The last man, who rode beside Eren, had a much older appearance than his peers because of the pronounced wrinkles on his face. He had slightly curly, brown hair styled in an undercut and small eyes. He wore the standard Survey Corps uniform, as well as a cravat, which made him look similar to Levi himself. He was **OLUO BOZADO**, also a member of Captain Levi's squad.

"...but an HQ this far from both the wall and the river… was worse than useless to the Survey Corps." Oluo stated in a somewhat disappointed tone while looking at the ground. "Back when the Corps had just been formed, and the soldiers were still full of ambition… who would've figured… that this oversized decoration would be the best place to lock you up?"

Eren only sent an odd look towards Oluo, showing that he was confused with whatever the guy was trying to do. Because of this, he turned his head to the captain, who was just behind them, for answers.

Unfortunately for him, all Levi did was send a bored look towards him, as if to tell him, "It's not my problem." With this, Eren could only turn away to hide a look of annoyance on his face. If this guy was the captain, he should be giving a damn about his men, right? This wasn't what he expected from the man who was called by many as 'humanity's strongest soldier'.

He had only joined Captain Levi's squad about an hour earlier, meeting them outside of the forest, having come all the way from Trost. Speaking of which, Armin and Mikasa have also left after spending one night with him and his mother, since they needed to get back to their fellow cadets and wait for the ceremony to choose their respective military branches. Of course, Eren would promise his mom that he'll come and visit her again soon before leaving.

So now… he was stuck here.

How boring.

Not that Eren was going to complain, he can handle simple things like this.

Before anything else, Oluo rode towards the white-haired teen and leaned closer to him, so much that it made Nero want to fire a round on him, but he'd rather not show his newfound firearm yet.

"Can you please move away? You're making me uncomfortable." He said without any malice in his tone, but the seriousness could be seen on his face.

Oluo sent him a bored look, similar to how Levi does it. "Don't get cocky, rookie… I don't know anything about this demon business like that arm, but the idea of Captain Levi constantly chaperoning a pissant like you makes me—!" he immediately stopped in his words with a scream of pain, accidentally biting his tongue as he was speaking.

Eren looked a bit surprised, but eventually snickered at seeing Oluo cover his bleeding mouth and whimpering in pain.

* * *

"Blathering like that on a horse… of course you're going to bite your tongue."

"...I was making a first impression. That rookie was quaking in his boots."

Hearing someone talk about him, Eren turned his attention from feeding his horse towards the two soldiers who were talking next to the well. Oluo leaned against it as he sat down, still trying to nurse his bleeding tongue using a wet towel while Petra looked down at him with a scowl.

"I think he was just surprised by what a fool you are, Oluo." Petra shook her head in disappointment.

Oluo snickered. "...at any rate, he's just what I expected."

"You know, you never used to talk like this." She placed her hands on her hips and looked at her comrade accusingly. "If… and this is just a guess… but if you are trying to imitate Captain Levi… just stop it, would you? I mean… you have absolutely _nothing_ in common with him."

"Heh…" he smirked. "What, are you trying to rein me in, Petra? If you wanna act like my wife, you skipped a couple of steps."

"Don't you think you're getting carried just because the captain chose you?" Petra ignored his comment before turning away with a huff. "...I wish you'd bitten your tongue off and die from blood loss…"

Oluo was taken aback by her sudden statement. "I'm your comrade-in-arms! That's not funny…"

_"On second thought…"_ Eren allowed a small smile to form on his face from seeing Petra and Oluo banter back-and-forth. _"Maybe this place won't be as boring as I thought… the Survey Corps Special Operations Squad, commonly called 'Squad Levi,' with its members being hand-picked by Captain Levi himself. I think I can hang out with these people just fine, as long as they don't try to cross me or anything."_ He then noticed Captain Levi coming into the scene with Gunther and Eld by his side, as they walked over to the door of the castle. _"However, their job is to make sure I don't harm anyone or go out of control when I use my powers." _The teen glanced at his **Devil Bringer** before letting out a small chuckle. Ever since the truth about his true nature became public, Eren had no reason to wrap his arm in bandages anymore. _"If I go out of control, these guys will kill me… but I wonder how exactly will they do that."_

"This place hasn't been used in a long time, so it's kind of fallen into despair," said Gunther as he examined the area.

"Well, isn't that a major problem?" Levi said in a sarcastic tone. "Fix it up immediately."

* * *

Wearing a mask, surgical gloves, and a white handkerchief around his head, Levi removed the wooden boards that had the windows closed. Having finished cleaning this particular room, it was natural to let the fresh air of the morning in and give some light to the once-dark place.

"The top floor is cleaned, sir." Eren said from outside of the room. Like the captain, he wore a mask and surgical gloves, though there was nothing covering his hair since he wasn't _that _much of a clean freak. As soon as he got Levi's attention, he continued on to a question that was lingering in his mind ever since they got here. "Where am I going to sleep in this castle, sir?" he asked in confusion. In truth, he saw many bedrooms on the way here where he could settle down, but he'd rather not have ODM blades all over his neck when he wakes up the next day because of not following orders or something.

"Your room is in the basement," Levi said in an uninterested tone.

"The basement…?" Eren asked, confused.

"Naturally…" Levi removed his mask momentarily. "We still have yet to find out the extent of what you are capable of. If you're underground, we'll be able to restrain you if something goes out of hand. That's one of the conditions we were given when they placed you in our custody. It's a rule we must follow."

Eren couldn't help but widen his eyes after hearing the captain say those words.

Levi frowned at the young teen for a moment before walking out of the room. "I'm going to check out the rooms you cleaned. Do this one."

Still caught off guard with his superior's words just now, Eren could only nod dumbly and mumble out his next words in a voice that only him could hear. "Yes, sir…"

As Levi left him there to head upstairs, Petra Ral made her way inside the room. She had the same cleaning gear as Eren, only that she had a broom in hand. "You look disappointed." she said, gaining Eren's attention.

"What?" He turned to her.

"It isn't an unusual reaction." She smiled at him. "He doesn't seem like the perfect hero that people make him out to be, does he? The real Captain Levi… is unexpectedly short… high-strung, ill-mannered, and unapproachable."

"It's not that…" He shook his head and looked to the side. "What took me by surprise… was how obediently he accepts orders from above."

"You thought because he carries a lot of weight, that he wouldn't be concerned with rank or the command structure?"

"Yeah… I thought he wouldn't take orders from anybody…"

"I don't know all the details… but I think he used to be pretty close to that. I heard that before Captain Levi joined the Survey Corps, he was a notorious thug in the city's underground market." Eren's eyes went wide as he heard this. "I don't know what exactly happened, but some people say that Commander Erwin brought him to the Corps."

"For real?" The underground market was no joke, and Eren was aware of this. He used to hear stories of that place from Grisha and according to the man, you have to steal in order to survive there. If the captain was once a well-known thief there, then he could only wonder what did the commander do in order to recruit him. "Commander Erwin did that?"

"Like I said, I don't know the exact details." Petra laughed. "I guess you'll have to ask the commander yourself for answers."

"I guess I do." Eren smiled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. As the girl laughed, he then noticed something was not right between them. It felt like something was wrong. "Say, if it's not too much of a bother, I'd like to start over."

Petra stopped laughing as Eren reached out his demonic hand towards her.

"I'm Eren Yeager."

"Well, aren't you the gentleman? I already know who you are and yet you do this," she joked before willingly accepting the handshake with a smile. "Regardless, I'm Petra Ral. I look forward to working with you, Eren."

The white-haired teen was caught off guard with Petra's attitude towards him, as he didn't expect her to calmly accept the handshake like a professional. Heck, he didn't even expect her to _smile_ while doing it.

Petra noticed his troubled look and she couldn't help but be curious if something was wrong.

"Is there a problem?"

"-ah!" Eren jumped in surprise, before regaining his composure as he shook his head and pulled back his arm. "N-No, not really… I… I was just surprised with you for a second."

Petra raised an eyebrow.

"Most of the people I've come across with ever since I revealed the truth about myself have only called me insulting names and… there are also those who fear me because of this," he raised his right arm. "I was just surprised that you're… not panicking like any of them."

"Oh, was that it?" Petra smiled once more. "Well, from what I'm seeing so far, you're not really like what those people say you are. If you were, then we might have moved in to restrain and possibly kill you even before we got here, and you even followed Captain Levi's orders with no question. I believe in the saying that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. And doesn't the captain count too? He hasn't called you such names nor did the others."

"Harsh, but true." Eren sweat-dropped a bit before smiling back. "Anyway, he doesn't count. Based on what you said, Captain Levi must how to act like a professional, and that goes for the other members of the squad. You're the first to act like this towards me." Petra blushed at his compliment. "So… for real, I'd like to say thanks. It might not mean much, but it feels… good, that someone thinks of me in a different way for a change."

"Well, that's what happens when you are comrades with —"

Captain Levi then showed up all of a sudden outside the room with a displeased look on his face. "Hey… Eren."

Petra immediately stopped in her words and went back to cleaning as soon as she heard the captain's voice, looking nervous that he might have seen her doing something else instead of her duty.

Eren noticed her nervousness so he quickly faced Levi, while wondering how the captain got back so quick after checking all the rooms he had cleaned. He was sure he had done about four of them before going here.

"Yes, sir?"

Levi raised his hand up, revealing some dirt on his glove as he glared at the teen. "You call _this_ clean?! Do it all again."

Eren could only deadpan at the man's standards. _"I changed my mind. I'm not gonna like it here. That's final."_

* * *

Later that night, the members of Squad Levi were all gathered in a small dining room, drinking tea as they discussed the latest briefing of orders from the top. However, little did they know that things were about to become more interesting than that…

"We'll probably be ordered to stay on standby for the next several days… but I hear they're thinking of launching a large-scale expedition past the wall in a month. And it turns out that they're aiming to put some recent graduates in the mix." said Eld.

"Eld… are you serious?" Gunther asked, crossing his arms. "Isn't it a bit too soon? The raw recruits just went through a titan invasion a few days ago!"

"I bet the brats were paralyzed with fright," commented Oluo as he sipped his tea.

"Is it true, Captain?" Petra looked towards their superior for answers.

"I'm not in charge of planning strategy." Levi replied with his usual uninterested tone, before an image of Erwin Smith appeared in his mind. "That's _his_ department. He's got a lot more to think about than we do."

"That's true… the circumstances have changed so much. On one hand, the Wall Maria recovery route that we sacrificed so much to build was sealed off in an instant…" Eld turned his attention to Eren, as the young half-demon felt everyone's eyes all over him. "...but a completely new hope has sprung in its place."

Eren shifted himself in his seat, as he could tell that what's coming next would be about him.

"It's still hard to believe like what's in the report… but did you really have a sword and firearms with you, Eren?" The sight of everyone else staring straight at him only showed that they were also curious, even Captain Levi.

The teen was surprised for a moment. He had thought they would be more intrigued about whether he was a real demon or not, but it seems that they were more reasonable compared to other soldiers. With a sigh, Eren stood up and stretched his limbs out a bit.

"Well, I shouldn't keep secrets from my own comrades, right?" he asked rhetorically, before his right arm glowed for a moment. Gunther, Petra, Oluo, and Eld's eyes all widened as he summoned Rebellion with his right arm as he placed it on the table. Levi merely raised an eyebrow, but was intrigued nonetheless. "That's the sword that everyone must be referring to, the one I used during the operation at Trost."

The members of Squad Levi turned their attention from Eren to the sword on the table, taking in its appearance to its most distinct features, mainly the large skull design in its base.

"It's… completely different compared to our ODM blades," said Gunther.

"Yeah… it's not something that we get to see everyday," Petra added as she looked up at the white-haired teen. "Is this really yours, Eren?"

"It's a family heirloom, and it originally belonged to Sparda himself. They say that this sword has the ability to awaken demonic power, being forged using metal from the underworld itself, but I haven't used it long enough to find out." Eren replied as he sat back down, not wanting to say anything more about Dante just yet. He needed the right opportunity for it, and saying it now to his squad would only raise suspicion among the other members of the Survey Corps.

"It looks like a child's plaything," Levi said as he sipped on his tea.

"Tch. He means you, rookie." Oluo looked towards Eren with a scowl, agreeing with the captain's words.

_"I'm going to assume that they were talking about Dante, since this thing belonged to him in the first place."_ Eren thought, hiding the fact that he was annoyed with Levi's remark. Oluo only made it worse for him as he sent a small scowl towards the man's direction.

"Awaken demonic power…" Eld muttered, before he realized something. "Eren, do you mean that it's because you wield this sword, your right arm turned into that?"

Eren looked at his **Devil Bringer** before he shook his head. "My arm changed years ago, even before I joined the military. It was when Shiganshina was breached and from there, I started to wear bandages over my arm to hide this from everyone else."

Eld wanted to ask more about this, but Oluo had other plans. "And what about those firearms that were mentioned in the report? The military report doesn't lie, but I don't see any guns with you—!" The man was forced to stop in his words as he accidentally bit down on his tongue once again, causing it to bleed.

The white-haired demon had to suppress the urge to laugh at Oluo's misfortune as the man covered his mouth in pain. Shortly afterwards, the same bright light appeared on both of Eren's hands this time, and when they died down, Ebony and Ivory were in his grasp.

"Those two don't look like the rifles that the MPs wield," commented Levi as he got a good look at both pistols. Needless to say, despite his bored look, he was more intrigued regarding the mysteries behind his newest subordinate.

"That's because they aren't, Captain." Eren answered as he placed both guns on the table beside his sword before explaining. "These two are custom-made firearms forged by an old friend of my blood-related uncle, and they don't need real bullets to work. They only need demonic energy, and the guns themselves will convert it into bullets that are effective against demons."

"That's amazing," Petra said in awe. "Can you show us?"

"Maybe tomorrow, if the captain would allow it." Eren looked towards Levi, whose look remained all the same. "It's late at night, and I don't think the he would like it if we go out right now just to show how this works."

"Tch. I don't care about what you do, as long as you don't do it here or you'll clean up the mess you make by yourself and do it the way I do." Levi scoffed.

Eren gave a slight nod in response, before it was Gunther who asked the next question.

"Eren, may I ask who was the one that made those guns of yours?" he said. "I apologize for this, but it seems too unlikely for a normal human to be able to create guns like those, if they are truly like what you said. Did that person have demon blood in them like you?"

In reality, Eren had no problem answering that question and he was about to reply back had it not been for Levi speaking up once again, this time without any sarcastic remarks in mind.

"I'm sure you're all aware, but you may not ask him anything past what's in the report," he said before looking to the side with his arms crossed. "Although I doubt _she'll_ keep her mouth shut. If she screws up while poking and prodding you, it may be the death of you, Eren. You should get rid of those things before she sees them and goes crazy."

"Eh…?" he said in confusion. Nonetheless, he grabbed Rebellion as it disappeared into his right arm, but the same couldn't be said for his two guns that were still on the table. "She…?"

"Hi there, Squad Levi! Is the castle comfortable?" an enthusiastic voice boomed out as a lone person entered the room, gaining the attention of everyone on the table.

"Her." Levi gestured towards the incoming presence.

"S-Squad Leader Hange." Eren remarked, as the brown-haired woman quickly made her way towards a chair and didn't hesitate to sit down.

"I'm currently handling the examination of the two titans that were captured in town," she began before immediately turning her full attention towards the teen's demonic arm, giggling in a borderline-insane manner. "And I'd like you to assist me with my experiment tomorrow, Eren! I just stopped by to get permission, hehe…"

Eren was genuinely surprised, all things considered. He was also quite confused. Experiment? Why should the titans be experimented when they are nothing but giant brainless monsters that live to eat humans?

"Experiment…? But I don't even —"

"Well, you see… I also want to know more about you!" Hange cut him off with an even bigger smile than before, before noticing the guns that were on the table. Her smile turned into a fascinated expression as she took one of them in her hand, going through its features and making quick mental notes about it. "Extraordinary! These must be the firearms that were being talked about in the report! The same guns that you used against demons! I _have_ to know more about these! Eren, you won't mind, right…?"

Eren cursed himself mentally, feeling that he just did something terrible for not hiding his pistols before this woman could see them. However, he made no move to take them back because he might get punished for disrespecting a commanding officer.

But regardless, he didn't need any other indication that what she really meant was learning about his demonic physiology and now his weapons, as he could tell that's what she was aiming for ever since the trial. Apart from the fact that she was creepy in his eyes, Eren had no problem with what she wanted, provided that it doesn't involve him getting dissected or anything like that. It might also help him learn more by looking at himself from a human's perspective.

"Uh, the thing is… I can't give you permission," he replied. "I don't have any authority over myself since I got here."

As soon as Hange heard his answer, she immediately turned to the bored-looking soldier at the end of the table, but not before placing Ebony back on the table. "Levi? What's on Eren's agenda for tomorrow?"

Levi remained silent for a few seconds, before answering in his usual tone. "...cleaning the yard."

That answer was enough for Hange as she reached out to shake Eren's right hand, grinning madly the moment she made physical contact with the abomination. "Great, then it's settled! I'll see you tomorrow, Eren!"

"Uh… okay…" he said, somewhat confused since the captain didn't even give her a concrete answer. Then again, both were commanding officers and they seemed to know each other well. Plus, Levi made no move to oppose her.

Now was the time to ask about what the squad leader was talking about earlier. "But what did you mean by 'titan experiment'?" he asked in confusion.

As soon as Hange's face lit up after he asked, Eren felt Oluo nudging him with his elbow, causing the white-haired demon to look at him. Oluo was shaking his head repeatedly as if Eren had done something terribly wrong, while the latter only raised an eyebrow.

_"Don't get her started, rookie!"_ Oluo screamed in his thoughts.

However, it seemed to be too late as light shone against Hange's glasses and her insane-looking smile morphed into a mischievous one. All thoughts of studying about Eren's true nature suddenly disappeared in her mind as she shifted into a different matter. "Ah… I knew it! I thought you looked curious."

Levi knew where this was going and decided not to stick around any longer, for his own sake. He stood up from his chair and left the room without a second thought. For the remaining members of Squad Levi, that was their cue as they followed their captain out of the room.

_"This doesn't look good,"_ Eren thought as a bead of sweat ran down his face. The fact that the captain and his squadmates left him with Squad Leader Hange meant something, and he could already tell that he won't like it one bit.

If that wasn't enough, the worst part was that he had no way out of this and Captain Levi won't let him hear the end of it.

"Well, if you want to know that badly…" Hange continued with a bright smile, unaware of what Eren was thinking about. "...who am I to keep it from you? It's about the titans that we captured. This isn't the first time we've successfully snared a titan." Hange began to explain into detail. "First, I repeated the experiment we tried five times in the past, whenever we had a captive titan: an attempt to communicate."

* * *

_"Hi there!" Hange Zöe greeted with a smile, looking into the eyes of a 4-meter titan bound by snares and was even nailed into the ground to ensure minimal movement. The titan did nothing but breathe heavily as it stared back at the woman before it._

_"Squad leader, you're standing too close." came the nervous voice of one of Hange's subordinates. He was a man of average height with short light hair parted down the middle named _**MOBLIT BERNER**_. The blonde man held his superior by her shoulders and tried to pull her away before something went wrong._

_A few minutes passed after that, Hange was forced to move on due to receiving no response from the first. The next one was a 7-meter class, and this time the titan was ensnared and nailed directly to the ground. It could barely even move its head. Before Hange could even get a chance to speak, the monster reached out and made an attempt to go for her legs._

_"Whoa!" she yelped, moving away in time to avoid the titan's mouth. "That was close! That was really close!"_

_"Squad leader, that's dangerous!" Moblit spoke up in fear for the woman._

* * *

"Unfortunately, I was forced to conclude that meaningful conversation is impossible." Hange sighed in disappointment. "However, the time I spent interacting with the titans was so fascinating it made me forget how exhausted I was. Incidentally, I named the 4-meter class one 'Sonny', and the 7-meter class one 'Bean'."

"Sonny and Bean?" Eren was about to laugh as he heard those words. "Why do those names sound like they fit for some reason?"

"I treat those two like my own children, so I had to give them good names." Hange said with a proud smile on her face, almost enough to drive Eren insane. He was trying to be sarcastic about it, and yet Hange was brushing it off like nothing.

What the hell was going on with this woman?

"Anyway, what I did next was to trying to deprive the titans of sunlight." Hange continued, clasping her hands together. "Titans become less energetic as night wears on, so this experiment tested the hypothesis that they derive somethig from sunlight that gives them vitality. Here, the titans showed individual differences. Whereas Sonny became lethargic after just one hour without sunlight… Bean was as frisky as ever for three hours straight."

"...really?" Eren asked, somehow surprised with the outcome of that experiment. Aren't all titans the same, dumb and ruthless killing machines that do nothing but feed on humans?

"I was surprised yet again… they don't need food or water, and even though they have vocal cords, it isn't necessary for them to breathe… all they require is sunlight. I'm interested in what would happen if they were cut off completely from sunlight… but if it killed them, it'd be the end of my experiments."

_"I think it would have been better that way…"_ Eren thought to himself, wondering what would happen to Hange if otherwise.

What Hange did next startled the white-haired teen, and Eren couldn't do anything about it. The woman slammed her hands on the table and leaned over towards Eren, breathing in a erratic way as she looked like she was dying inside.

"So I moved on to the next stage: Direct contact with the titans' bodies!" Her eyes then widened upon remembering what had transpired during this particular experiment. "I explored their sense of pain."

* * *

_"AAAAAH! AAAAAH!"_

_The sound of someone screaming filled the entire courtyard as many soldiers came to watch Hange's 'experiment'. But for the squad leader herself, it looked like she wasn't enjoying this one compared to the ones in the past._

_With a long metal rod, Hange stabbed it into the corner of Bean's eye as the titan roared out in pain. The interesting part was that steam had omitted from the area where the rod was plunged into, and the soldiers could feel that its temperature was high enough to make them sweat, but not out of nervousness or anything._

_"Squad leader!" Moblit tried to calm his superior down because of confusion, nothing more. In fact, all of the soldiers in the area were in the same boat. "There is no need for _you _to scream…"_

_"How could I do this and not scream?!" Hange shouted back at Moblit, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Look at how much pain Bean is in!"_

_Against her will, Hange pushed the rod deeper into the titan's eye, causing the monster to roar out even louder. She turned back towards Bean with a horrified look, showing how much she was regretting doing this kind of thing to her test subject._

_"Hang in there, Bean! You'll make it!" she cried._

* * *

"You see, I had to find out whether the titans have a weak point other than the neck… it was very tough for me to that…" Hange explained, sounding like she was deeply hurt remembering what happened.

Eren just stared at her, more concerned with this woman's sanity than finding out more about the titans. He didn't even bother listening to what exactly happened… no, all he did was observe the squad leader's reactions and feelings regarding her own words.

If it wasn't for not sensing any demonic blood in her body, Eren would have definitely assumed she was a demon trying to mess with his head and it wouldn't even take a second to silence her.

This woman was just plain crazy, nothing more. How she stayed alive up until now was a mystery to the half-demon teen, and he could only guess that it was out of pure luck.

"Compared to Bean, the introverted Sonny didn't gave much of a reaction at all…"

* * *

_"You do know that I'm stabbing you through the heart…?" Hange asked as she used another metal rod for the next part of her experiment._

_This time, it was plunged into the chest of the 4-meter class one, but the strange thing was that Sonny wasn't roaring out in pain like Bean._

_Hange raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't hurt? How does it feel?"_

_"Oongh… oonh…" the titan breathed heavily as it leaned its head closer to Hange with its mouth starting to open._

_"Mm…" Thinking that Sonny was about to tell her something, the squad leader leaned in a bit closer too, as if this was nothing to her. "What?! What is it?! Something you wanna tell me, Sonny?"_

***SNAP!***

_"Yipe!" she screamed, quickly moving away and narrowly avoiding death from having her head getting eaten by a titan._

_"Squad leader, please stay back!" Moblit had already moved in to pull his superior officer away from the titan as a group of soldiers moved in to make sure it was restrained and had no chance of escaping. "You were really gonna die back there!"_

_"AHAHAHAHA!" Unfortunately, Hange didn't seem like she was paying attention at all as she laughed like a madman while being taken away. "You almost had me there, Sonny! That's a good one!"_

* * *

"...so you can see that Sonny has difficulty in expressing himself. All he does is try to bite my head off…"

Not surprisingly, Eren paid no further attention to what Hange was explaining, feeling that it would just be pointless. Everything that came out of her mouth up until now didn't even make any sense, even if they were all experiments done on the titans and Eren has decided that enough was enough.

"How can you be so cheerful around titans?" he sighed, unable to look at the squad leader straight in the eye.

"Huh?"

Eren resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Has this woman really gone _that_ far in terms of her sanity? "I mean… the titans are the enemy! They drove our race to the brink of extinction. They're no different from demons when we think of how ruthless they can be. The only thing that keeps them different is demonic blood! Squad leader, surely you must've been in danger from them a number of times…"

"You're right." Hange sighed in defeat, causing Eren to raise an eyebrow at her. "I've seen my comrades get slaughtered by the titans right before my eyes more times than I care to recall. When I first joined the Survey Corps, I relied on my hatred to get me through battles with the titans."

If Eren wasn't listening earlier because of how pointless this was, then it seems like that notion changed in such a short amount of time. Apparently, the squad leader wasn't really insane like he thought and there might be more to her, if Hange could just focus on the more important stuff while explaining.

"And then, one day, I realized something. It was as I kicked the decapitated head of a 3-meter class titan." She clasped her hands together and frowned deeply. "The titan's body… was very light."

That alone had gotten Eren's full attention as his eyes widened slowly at what he just heard. How could a titan be _light?_ They can be up to several meters tall, and those bastards can easily crush whatever stands in their way, the Colossal Titan and Armored Titan being prime examples. It even took him using the power of his demonic arm to be able to lift those monsters, so how exactly can that be considered _light_? There was obviously more to this new mystery, and Eren could only focus on knowing more about it.

His expression became more serious as a result, and he could only make sure that he heard her right. "What?"

"In the first place, that titan shouldn't have been able to stand, much less walk, on two legs. All the titans are like that… even the weight of a severed arm wasn't nearly what it should've been, considering its size." She looked up at Eren with a serious expression. "Then I heard from Commander Pixis that when you turned into a titan by your father, Eren, you somehow went back to normal. Don't you think it's pretty interesting how exactly you turned into one and returned to being normal, even if it's likely just because of you being a demon?"

Eren couldn't answer that, realizing the truth in her statement. He had never known what really happened in the forest years ago, and he had no recollection of what went down after Grisha injected that serum into his arm. Even Dante didn't know anything about it nor the titans, so it was up to Nero to solve this on his own.

"What I think is happening… is that what we can _see_ and the true nature of what exactly _exists_… are two different things. For decades now, we've made an effort to thrive on hatred and move aggressively, but then the actual existence of demons put another burden on our shoulders. We have next to no information about them, but for now, I want to focus on trying to look at the titans from a different angle than the predominant view. I may just be spinning my wheels…" Hange let out a long sigh afterwards, before quickly regaining her serious look.

"But… I'm going to do it."

The white-haired demon could only stare at the woman before him for a few seconds, before turning away to contemplate on what just happened. All those thoughts of him about Hange being completely insane, they were all gone in an instant.

_"What is this? It's like I've been in a constant state of surprise ever since joining the Survey Corps."_ Eren thought to himself. _"Looks like it's not only the Squad Leader… this organization is full of oddballs. It's like a haven… for eccentrics. A group of people looking to change the status quo…"_

Eren turned his attention back towards Hange as a small smirk formed at the corner of his lips.

_"This is exactly what I hoped to see from the Survey Corps."_

"Eren… adding you as a component in the experiments may teach us something new, especially now when a new breed of monsters are knocking on our doorstep. You're the only one who has knowledge about the demons, and your father may have known something about the titans that we don't. And if it goes well, it could move us one step ahead." she explained, trying to convince the teen of what was planned and prove that it was for the greater good of humanity. "It's possible I'm just being a pain in the ass and expecting too much from you… but I'm having fun. There's never been a change like this before…"

"Squad leader," he cut her off. Nero took a deep breath before a small smile formed on his face. "I guess I have no choice now, do I? I'm in this experiment whether I like it or not. But now, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about your experiments."

"Hm?" Hange quickly snapped her eyes towards the teen in disbelief, wondering if her sense of hearing picked that up correctly. "Really?"

"If nothing else, don't you think I should be well-informed for tomorrow's experiment? I'm willing to listen and maybe even share what I know."

"R-Right." The woman stuttered with a big smile on her face. "True, I did leave out a lot in my explanation… alright, let's get into the nitty-gritty. Although we may be here for a while…"

* * *

"...so I didn't get any new information out of this latest round of experiments. In fact, everything I've told you is already taught to trainees."

The cold breeze filled the air and the chirping of birds could be heard outside of the castle. The sun was beginning to take its place in the sky, and Eren Yeager could only lazily turn his head towards the window as sunlight shone over him and the other person in the room.

"But you knew that, didn't you?" Hange, as enthusiastic as ever, asked the poor teen who looked like he was about to fall over at any second out of sleepiness.

"Yeah… I knew it all already." Eren said in a tired voice before letting out a huge yawn. In truth, because of his demonic physiology, Eren could stay up without getting tired or even feel sleepy.

However, this woman was worse than he had thought, and he'd take a whole day of sleep if it meant leaving this room because the white-haired teen wasn't sure if he could stand being with her any longer. He had thoughts of pretending to faint so that the captain and the others can move in and take him to his room, but he had some doubts about that plan, since his superior officer or any of his squadmates weren't here!

"Then, let me explain it to you again, this time mixed in with my own speculation." Hange said, without a hint of exhaustion nor sleepiness in her demeanor.

"What?!" he nearly shouted as he was about to reach his breaking point. Seriously, this woman can drive anyone insane without even trying! "Look… it's already —"

"First of all, regarding communication, there was a curious case involving a soldier named '**ILSE LANGNAR**'…" Hange began to explain once more, cutting Eren off from his words of plea. However, the squad leader's 'fun' wouldn't last any longer as well, as the doors to the room slammed open and gained both soldiers' attention.

"IS SQUAD LEADER HANGE HERE?" came the voice of the soldier that made his presence known inside the room. He had the insignia of the Survey Corps on his uniform, showing that he was one of their own. "The subjects…" he spoke in an alarmed tone.

"What? Did something happen to Sonny and Bean?!" At the slightest mention of her beloved titans, Hange grew worried that something bad might have happened to them. Eren made sure to listen as well, because he was supposed to be a part of this titan experiment anyway.

"...BOTH TITANS HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

* * *

In the middle of the courtyard, nothing was left except for the corpses that were identified as the test subjects. The snares and the nails that were used to detain the titans were all disabled, and their remains were already beginning to evaporate and turn into steam.

Many soldiers have gathered around the area to bear witness of the event, and nothing filled the air except for the sound of the steam from the corpses, as well as the cries of despair by one particular scientist.

"SONNY! BEAN!" Hange cried out with tears streaming down her cheeks, grasping her hair tightly as if she couldn't believe that this just happened. Her precious subjects… gone… like they were just any simple titan out there. Moblit was already there for his superior officer, trying his best to comfort her for this tragedy.

Meanwhile, the soldiers that were all gathered around the courtyard were having a discussion of their own as they stated their own perspective on what could have happened.

"D…Did a soldier do it?"

"We haven't found the culprit. But it looks like they were both killed at the same time, before dawn. By the time the guards noticed, whoever did it already got away using vertical maneuvering gear."

"So this was pre-meditated, with two or more people involved…"

"Look at Hange. She's gone off the deep end."

"They were important test subjects. What kind of morons would…"

"If they weren't morons… then why'd they do it?"

Within the large crowd of soldiers, specifically from fat behind, Levi and his squad could be seen bearing witness to the tragedy that struck Hange's test subjects. However, among them, Eren was the only one who put his hood on to hide his presence from the other soldiers there. His **Devil Bringer** was also hidden from plain sight thanks to the bandages that covered his arm. It would create a ruckus if news broke out that the so-called 'demon' had returned to the town, and the Survey Corps didn't need another issue on their hands in addition to what became of the titans that they captured.

"We've seen enough." Levi commented, already starting to walk away from the scene. "Let's go… the rest is up to the Military Police Brigade."

All of his subordinates nodded except for Eren, who replied with an audible, "Yes, sir."

But before the squad could leave the area, the blonde-haired commander of the Survey Corps approached them with a neutral expression on his face. "Eren."

"Commander!" Eren exclaimed upon seeing Erwin now, of all times. Thankfully, no other soldier heard his voice due to the murmurs and whispers that filled the courtyard. "What's going on here?" he asked, having the strange feeling that the two titans were killed not because of the need to eliminate a threat, but something more.

However, instead of answering the question, Erwin placed his hands on Eren's shoulders and went behind him before leaning closer to the teen. "What do you see? Who do you think the enemy is?" he asked, keeping his eyes fixed on what remained of the test subjects' corpses.

"...what?" Eren frowned in confusion, although Captain Levi had slightly turned his head towards Erwin, as though he knew what the commander meant.

"..." Erwin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Sorry for asking such a strange question."

With that, the commander walked away from the white-haired demon as Gunther led Eren out of the courtyard. But as he followed his squadmate with Captain Levi and the rest, Eren had kept his gaze towards the blonde-haired man, having the feeling that Erwin was trying to tell him something.

_"What was the commander talking about?"_ he said in his thoughts, trying to figure out why was Erwin asking him those things as well as the meaning behind them.

* * *

_**That ends this one! Regarding my question in the previous one, two have gotten the correct answer but only one of them gave a full explanation. Props to you, ZLC genesmith! You managed to make a concrete guess on how Mikasa and Armin were able to use devil arms, however there were still some things in your explanation that are different from what I have planned. You'll find out what it is soon but regardless, great job in figuring it out!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	24. Brave Soldiers

_**Fuckin' Coronavirus had classes here suspended until April, and now, I'm loaded with schoolwork. DAMN THIS VIRUS!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

The news of the two titans that were killed during the night spread through the whole military force in Wall Rose rather quick, mainly because they were important test subjects intended to help in humanity's continuous advancement against the enemy. While there were some who were confused with the sudden uproar that killing titans brought, one thing was for sure.

The culprit will be exposed, one way or another.

In one of the small military barracks found in Trost, the cadets of the 104th Training Corps were going through a mass inspection of their maneuvering gears. Being the ones who were at the front line during the attack on Trost a few days ago, it wouldn't be strange if one of them became fearful and killed the subjects out of desperation.

"When was the shaft last switched out?" asked by one of the MP officers who were sent there to investigate.

"After the mopping up operation six days ago, sir." Sasha Braus replied with a neutral tone, but the look on her face said otherwise. It seemed as if she was nervous about something.

"There's a record of it." His female companion remarked, confirming Sasha's words.

The officer gave a stiff nod, before moving on to the cadet who stood beside the brunette. "All right, next! You!"

"Krista Lenz, 41st Squad." The girl introduced herself, as the investigation to find the culprit continued on.

On the other side of the room, a few cadets were having a little discussion about this newest dispute, and how it involved them. A few days ago, they had just finished cremating the bodies of their dead comrades and now they were a possible suspect in the killing of two important test subjects.

"So you can get punished for killing titans, huh?"

"Yeah, it _is_ weird, but they were valuable test subjects."

"But the fact that they're looking for the culprits here… as if a trainee could've done it!"

"I know… and we're all still worn out from the mop-up after the battle…"

Behind them stood three of the top ten: Armin, Connie, and Annie. They were listening to everything that came out of their fellow cadets' mouths, and Armin could only frown. He returned with Mikasa just yesterday after paying a visit to Eren's mother [with his friend being there as well] and now they were somehow involved in a dispute once again. It's like trouble followed them wherever they went.

"You can't blame someone for hating titans." Connie spoke up, causing Armin to turn towards him for a quick moment.

"...yeah." Despite knowing the intention of the military upon keeping a couple of titans alive, Armin could only find himself nodding in agreement. "But this practically helps the titans… whoever did it may have satisfied their thirst for revenge, but it's a blow to the human race in return."

"I'm an idiot… so I kinda get where they're coming from." Connie said, looking down and causing Armin to look towards him once again, this time with a surprised expression on his face. "You lose your ability to think. Before I saw my first titan, I really wanted to join the Survey Corps… but now… I never wanna see another titan as long as I live. Even though we have to choose a branch today…"

Armin offered his a look of sympathy. "Connie…"

"Damn it… even Jean said he's gonna join the Survey Corps…" he scoffed, remembering Jean's words during the night after the mop-up operation.

Now that caught Armin off guard as his eyes widened in shock. That was the last thing he expected from someone who did nothing but talk about joining the ranks of the Military Police Brigade for years. "What?! Jean said that?"

"Hey… Annie, what do you think?" Connie turned his attention towards the blonde girl beside Armin. "He says he's gonna join the Survey Corps."

"...I have no comment." Annie replied in a cold tone. "My mind's already made up."

"...I see." Connie didn't seem to be surprised with her answer at all, since he somehow expected her to say something like that. "You're going with the MP Brigade, right…?"

Annie didn't say anything, only giving a stiff nod as her answer which was enough for both Connie and Armin to understand.

The inspection continued on, although at a slow pace because the MP officers were strict in following the correct procedure in extracting information, even if it was towards their fellow soldiers. While they were still waiting for their turn, Connie decided to speak out something that was on his mind ever since the clearing operation.

"Hey… Annie…" He turned his head towards Annie's direction, as though he was in desperate need of help. He knew that he couldn't figure this out on his own, so maybe one of his friends would. "You think I should go for the MPs, too?"

"Look…" Annie sighed, seemingly tired of this conversation. "If somebody told you to die… would you do it?"

Connie scrunched his eyebrows out of confusion. It took him a moment to answer but once he did, he looked strangely in denial for a guy who was conflicted in choosing what military branch he would join. "...what? Of course not!"

"Then you should do what you want to do," Annie shrugged carelessly before turning her attention to the blonde boy beside her. "How about you, Armin?"

"Hm…?" He looked at Annie in slight confusion before realizing that she was asking him to answer her question. "For me…? Well… if I could understand _why_ I had to die… I… I think there are times that people have to die, even if I don't like it."

"I see…" Annie nodded slowly, while Connie seemingly looked confused with them. "So you've decided…"

"Yeah."

"You're a weakling… but you've got spirit." she acknowledged, but keeping the straight and cold look on her face.

"Th-Thanks…" Armin spoke with a light blush adorning his cheeks.

"Seriously…?" Connie asked in bewilderment, before feeling as if he was a coward for backing out compared to someone like Armin, who was aware of his own weakness in physical abilities and would be better off in either the Police Brigade or the Garrison. "Armin… you too…?"

"Annie…" Armin flashed a little smile at his fellow cadet. "You're actually… pretty nice."

That wasn't something that the girl expected from Armin's mouth as she turned her head towards him, with both confusion and surprise lingering in her eyes. However, Annie was able to contain herself that her cold expression didn't change at all, only raising an eyebrow to show that she was intrigued.

"Wha…?"

"I mean, it seems like you don't want us to join the Survey Corps… and I bet you have a reason for joining the Military Police."

Annie looked at him blankly for a few seconds before shaking her head and turning away. "...no."

That short answer didn't really surprise Armin at all, but what she said next was enough to make his eyes widen slowly.

"I just… want to save myself."

* * *

In a large theater located near the barracks, the members of Squad Levi were gathered backstage with Commander Erwin, waiting for the recruits to arrive. This place was used as a place of gathering by soldiers, usually for the ceremony of picking a military branch by fresh cadets, and it so happened that today was the day for the 104th Training Corps to make the choice that will change their lives forever.

The Survey Corps, the Garrison, or the Military Police Brigade. However, in the case of the cadets who weren't able to make it to the top ten, are only limited to either of the first two branches.

"So, in the end, I guess they didn't find any soldiers who used vertical maneuvering without authorization."

"Who the hell did it, then…?"

The squad was well-informed of what happened during the mass inspection that was done a few hours ago, and needless to say, some of them were disappointed that there were no leads to the person who was behind the execution of the two titan subjects, mainly Eld and Gunther.

"Beats me… but to be honest, I'm more concerned about today's recruit solicitation ceremony."

"I wonder how many newbies are gonna join the Corps on a whim…"

Due to the growing death rate of the Scouts with every expedition, they had doubts that any of the recruits would willingly join and go beyond the wall, especially after the raid on Trost district a few days ago. Because of this, they turned their attention to the person who might have an idea about this matter.

"Hey, Eren." Eld called out to the hooded teen before them while crossing his arms. "Is there anyone from your training group who wants to join up?"

Eren turned to the two of them and thought about it for a moment, before answering in a slightly worried tone. "I know a couple of them have made up their minds and are willing to join…" he said, referring to Mikasa and Armin. In all honesty, he would rather have them joining either the Garrison or the Police Brigade for their own safety. However, he also knew that they have made up their minds long ago. Armin didn't want to be seen as a burden to others, while Mikasa promised his mother that she would look out for him and he would do the same. They couldn't do that if they were part of another military faction and plus, the fact that they visited Carla [consequently, Eren himself as well] a few days ago just adds to it.

"...but for a few other people…" he continued, remembering the time when Sasha and Connie decided to join the Survey Corps, which only took place a few days ago. "...I have no idea how they feel about joining now."

* * *

At the same time, the cadets of the 104th Training Corps were already gathered at the theater, and they were waiting for the ceremony to begin. Separated from the massive group of young soldiers were Annie, Armin, Sasha and Connie, who were all leaning against a nearby wall just watching everybody else being confident in the branch they wanted to join.

While Armin and Annie seemed like they were contented with their own decisions, Sasha and Connie weren't faring much. They were still conflicted with what they should do, in direct contrast to their seemingly confident demeanors before the raid on Trost District.

While he was sitting on the ground, Connie was the first one to notice another one of their comrades walking up towards them with a blank expression.

"Jean…"

Hearing the name of one of their fellow top ten, Sasha, Annie, and Armin looked up and saw Jean standing before them. Compared to his usual arrogant and smug expression, he seemed calmer and looked more reserved now.

"Jean, what made you suddenly decide to join the Survey Corps? I mean… I thought you were scared…" Sasha asked, remembering his decision the night when they cremated the bodies of their fallen comrades. It was the last thing any of them would expect to hear from someone like him.

"What?" Jean answered in a surprised tone with his hands planted on his hips. "Of course I don't like it. The Corps, I mean.

Connie frowned in confusion. "Huh? Then why are you…?"

"I may have chosen the Survey Corps, but it's not 'cause I'm not afraid of the titans. And I'm not going to say something like, 'skilled soldiers have a duty to join the Corps.'" Jean rubbed the back of his head nervously, because he knew to himself that this was nothing like him. "Listen seriously… I'm not in a hurry to die like Eren. Don't lump me in with him."

"Trainees, fall in! Face the stage!" An officer called out to everyone else, as the cadets began to gather at the foot of the stage. Reiner, Bertholdt, Krista, and Ymir all sent knowing glances towards Jean and the others, but the latter simply turned his head and gave them a look as if to say 'let me just finish this'.

Jean faced Sasha and Connie again, with a more serious look appearing on his face this time.

"...and nobody convinced me to put my life on the line. This isn't the kind of job you can do without really choosing it yourself." With that, he turned on his heel and began to walk away with Reiner and the rest, but not before glancing one last time at his fellow cadets.

"Now let's go out there and make the choice, you two."

* * *

The blonde-haired commander of the Survey Corps stood on the stage for everyone to see, as his loud and domineering voice had the whole area in silence except for him.

"I am Survey Corps Commander Erwin Smith," he began. "The King has granted me authority over all Survey Corps activity. Today, you choose which division to join, and the reason I'm up here is to invite you to become a part of the Survey Corps." With those words, Erwin didn't even hesitate to go straight to the point and announce the dangers of joining the Scouts. "But I should warn you. In the recent titan attack, everyone here experienced what the average excursion outside is like. I'm sure nothing else in your lives came close to it. Though you're trainees, you experienced sacrifice. As a result, I'm sure you came to know… your own limits, and the terror of the titans."

Connie felt like those words were directed to him, remembering how he faltered under a titan's gaze and became unable to fight back, causing him to look down. Sasha, although she was able to bring down one of those monsters on her own, felt the same as Connie did because there was no way she could forget that feeling.

That feeling when you're in the mercy of _them_.

"Nevertheless," Erwin continued. "While it's true we suffered heavy losses in the attack… the human race has advanced towards victory like never before. By now, everyone is aware of…"

Many of the cadets either bit their lips or gulped nervously, as they waited for the commander to finish his sentence.

"...the existence of Eren Yeager."

This time, it wasn't just the _normal_ cadets. Even the top ten soldiers among them couldn't help but widen their eyes at hearing the blonde man's words. That's right, how could they forget about Eren? He was also trained in the same company as them, even finishing up as the top scorer of them all. It was only about a week since they last saw him, and that was when they had found out his true nature as a demon, as he plugged up the hole in Trost District with his unknown powers and ending the titan raid in that place.

Only Armin and Mikasa had no particular reactions whatsoever upon hearing Eren's name, since they had already come across him a few days ago.

"Through his actions and all of yours, the titan incursion was halted… and we have obtained a path to understanding the true nature of titans. However, a new enemy has now dawned upon us, and we must re-double our efforts if humanity is to survive and win against titans and the demons. It is quite sickening and troubling to know that what you all thought was a simple story turned out to be a reality, isn't it?" Erwin said in a commanding tone, as he clenched his fist tightly.

While most of the cadets didn't know how to feel about that, a few of them winced at remembering what those demons looked like, and how they struck fear into them. Those people were Krista, Ymir, Armin, Connie, and Mikasa; they had separate encounters with demons during the titan invasion, and all of them did not end well.

"I'm not at liberty to tell you much here about Eren… but believe me, he has proven himself as an ally who is willing to lay his life on the line. Furthemore, he has the blood of a demon in his veins, making him the only connection we have to the enemy and to my knowledge, he graduated as the best cadet among all of you. With his knowledge of demons and elite skills on our side, we may not have to worry about our new enemy at all." His face showed a hidden smile at how much of a gold mine Eren was, since they might be seeing the second coming of Captain Levi or perhaps even stronger.

"And we also know that in the basement of his old house in Shiganshina District… there are answers about the titans and possibly the demons that even he doesn't have. If we can just get to that basement… I believe we'll find clues that may free us from a century of domination by titans and an impending one from the demons."

This sparked a lot of confusion and interest in the trainees, as various murmurs filled the area, talking about this newfound knowledge that Commander Erwin gave them.

"His basement…?" Reiner mused out loud.

"Eren…" Sasha and Krista mumbled to themselves, remembering how their fellow cadet effortlessly took down titans during the titan invasion of Trost.

"What the hell…?" Jean said in confusion.

"Are we already that close…?"

"If we're on the verge of finding out what the titans really are, then the situation must not be that bad!"

"To think it took this long for humanity to reach this point…"

Armin, however, was looking at the commander in confusion. _"I know they want to recruit soldiers… but making that information public…? I don't think that Eren would even agree to that, because it's supposed to be a…"_ Upon getting a closer look at the blonde-haired man on the stage, Armin noticed his gaze was roaming around the cadets of the 104th, as if he was looking for someone. _"Wait a minute… he must have an agenda… what's the commander…"_

"...looking at?" Armin finished aloud, enough for Mikasa to hear him, and thus the girl turned around towards her friend with a confused expression.

"Is there something wrong, Armin?" she asked.

"And yet…" When Erwin began to speak again, all the murmurs and whispering among the cadets stopped at once. "...if we are to perform a full investigation of that basement room in Shiganshina… we first need to take back Wall Maria. In other words, our aim is the same… but now that we can no longer use the gate in Trost District, we have no choice but to use the long way around, from Eastern Karanes District. The path that took one of our battalions four years to clear is completely lost. During those four years, over 90% of the Survey Corps died. That's 90% in four years. Even in the best case, sending another battalion to Wall Maria… would mean five times the casualties and 20 years of work. Those aren't realistic figures."

Just as the cadets were beginning to be filled with hope earlier, Erwin was quick to shoot that down, reminding everyone of the sacrifices and the suffering that the Scouts went through along the way. By now, nearly everyone became conflicted once more, unsure if it would be a safe choice to join the Survey Corps.

"The Survey Corps is always looking for talented people. Since many are killed every time we go out, we suffer from a chronic shortage of personnel." Erwin massaged his forehead for a quick moment before taking a deep breath. "I won't hide it. Those of you who join the Survey Corps will participate in an expedition beyond the wall one month from now. A supply route needs to be put in place as soon as possible. I believe the mortality rate for new recruits going on their first journey outside is 50%. That is for when the titans were our only problem, we have yet to figure out what kind of danger do demons pose. But regardless, those who do get through it go on to become superior soldiers with a high survival rate."

His last sentence wasn't able to shake off the fear that the cadets felt, as they became more and more unwilling to devote themselves to the Scouts' cause. Of course, they were young and most of them had dreams of living a peaceful life with their family or gaining respect and acknowledgement from other soldiers to be able to live in the interior.

They weren't strong enough to give their dreams up just so they could die.

"Now you know the dismal state of affairs. Those of you who are still willing to put your lives on the line, remain here." Erwin said in a serious tone, as the cadets began to shake in fear. "Let me reiterate… the majority of the people who stay here and enter the Survey Corps will likely die. Ask yourselves if you really have it in you to sacrifice your life for humanity. That's all. Those of you who wish to join the other divisions are dismissed."

And with that, the trainees at the far end of the company didn't hesitate to turn around and leave, unable to do what Commander Erwin asked of them. As the seconds passed, more and more graduates left the area, making it look like nobody among them was willing to devote their lives for the human race.

One of the 104th's instructors was watching Erwin closely along with Levi Squad from backstage, and based on how the cadets' reactions as of now, he was concerned with how the commander handled things because the kids may have been scared for life thanks to that speech. "Commander, did you have to be that intimidating? The trainees that are left must feel like they've been through the wringer," he spoke out in sympathy for the cadets that left the place.

The number of cadets that were leaving increased to the point that there was no telling who would remain. Sasha and Connie could only look at their fellow trainees in uncertainty, Mikasa and Armin were trying their best to remain calm since their minds were already made up, while Jean clenched his fists as his mind became conflicted with what he should do.

_"Shit… I'm begging you here."_ Jean thought to himself with a disgusted expression. _"Don't make me… hate myself more than I already do."_

Even Reiner and Bertholdt looked like they didn't know what to do. Deep down, Reiner simply wanted to help out his friends, but he didn't know what branch he'll join to do just that. Meanwhile, for a guy who talked about joining the Military Police Brigade during their disbandment ceremony, Bertholdt was actually having second thoughts now but it seemed like he was waiting for someone more than trying to figure himself out.

_"If I don't get away from here now… I'll have to…"_ Sasha thought grimly, as she remembered her face-to-face encounter with a titan back in Trost, when she was filled with nothing but fear in the presence of those monsters. _"...face them again…"_

Beside her, Connie was having similar thoughts as he flashed an awkward smile upon remembering his words back when they were still young trainees.

_"That's right… I left the village to become a Military Police officer…" _He clenched his fists and his eyes became teary. "Mom would be so happy… if I became an MP… everyone in the village would respect me."

Jean was doing his best to stand his ground and keeo himself from faltering, as the majority of the cadets from the whole 104th have left without a trace.

_"We already know… we've seen it… we've seen how titans… eat people…"_

Erwin clasped his hands together from behind him and examined the trainees who remained in their place. "If you… were told to die, could you do it?"

…

…

…

"I don't want to die!" Connie's voice rang out of nowhere to answer the commander's question. While nobody seemed to pay attention to him, Erwin heard it quite clearly as he nodded his head slowly in acknowledgement.

"I see… everyone… you look good." With that, he slammed his right fist to his chest in a tight military salute before speaking in a commanding tone. "Very well! I welcome the newest members of the Survey Corps! This is my real salute! Devote your hearts to the cause!"

Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, Bertholdt, Jean, Connie, Ymir, Krista, and all of the remaining trainees that stood their ground saluted back.

"YES, SIR!" they all chanted out in unison as each of them had different reactions afterwards.

_"I…I made a promise… and… I will keep it."_ Mikasa said to herself, a simple but meaningful vow keeping her motivated despite the dangers that she might face ahead.

"...ev-everyone…" Armin mumbled, shocked and became quite scared with the number of people who were willing to sacrifice their lives for humanity.

"Ahhh… shit…" Jean cursed in a low tone, before groaning to himself. "This is the worst. Damn it. The Survey Corps, of all things."

"Unh… I hate this…" Sasha whispered to herself, her eyes looking ready to burst into tears but she tried to reassure herself. "I'm scared… I wanna go back home… but… Eren will be there too… with me…"

"Ahh…" Connie grunted, freely crying now as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I just don't care anymore…"

Reiner said nothing but kept a strong and determined look, not wanting to show any sign of weakness.

Krista didn't say anything as well, but she was shivering in fear and had tears in her eyes. This did not go unnoticed by her friend Ymir who was standing beside her.

"If you're gonna cry here, you might as well quit. But I don't see what you're worrying about. With Yeager and me around, those titans won't be able to get to you." Ymir told her blonde friend, not even showing a tiny bit of fear for what's to come.

Bertholdt, although he was sincere with his salute, still looked like he was looking for somebody. Turning his head, he managed to get a glimpse of Annie walking away with everyone else, staying true to her word about joining the Police Brigade.

"I see 21 members in the 104th Training Corps who have given the salute." Erwin acknowledged, bowing his head slightly towards the remaining trainees in the area. "You have withstood your fear well… you're all brave soldiers. You have my heartfelt respect."

* * *

The days flew by as if it were seconds, and one week remained before the Survey Corps would go an another expedition, this time setting out from the Eastern District of Karanes. During the month-long preparation, the fresh recruits did nothing but get oriented into all that there is to know about the Scouts, as well as guidelines and rules to follow whenever there is an expedition.

Right now, Eren was currently training with the Yamato at an open field that wasn't far from their castle, which was also a place for breeding horses.

He had already been taught by Captain Levi and his squad during his first week as a new member, and after that, he focused on training and further refining his skills so that he can stay in the proper condition and shape despite current circumstances. Surprisingly, one word from Levi to not ask Eren any questions about what isn't their business (his demonic heritage) was enough for everyone to leave their newest member be. Although Eren was caught off guard with how professional the captain with regards to the current issue about him, this must be what Petra was talking when she told him how Levi was like.

Anyway, it was a good thing that the captain gave his permission to let him train whenever he wanted, on the condition that he doesn't neglect his duties, train not anywhere near the fortress [so that Eren wouldn't make a mess], and that someone must go with him. Also, Levi had told him to keep his arm hidden at all times, simply because it was disgusting to look at. However, Petra was kind enough to explain to him that the captain just didn't want him attracting unwanted attention, and Eren knew the right thing was to obey, otherwise he might attract the demons at any given time.

Watching the teen from a distance was Oluo and Petra, and the man didn't look pleased about staying here and simply keeping an eye on Eren. But it's not like he had a choice when the captain was the one who assigned this to him. Petra, on the other hand, watched Eren train in silence, admiring how skilled he was despite being younger than her and the other members of their squad.

Eren figured that while he still had time, he would continue to improve his abilities in wielding his father's katana; he had already learned enough from Dante to wield the Rebellion with skill, and now his attention was turned towards Yamato. Compared to his father's, Eren's **Judgement Cut** was considerably smaller and weaker so that was one of the aspects he needed to focus on, aside from his slashes and fluidity when using the sword.

_"Why do I have to be the one to watch this brat? Could've just been Petra alone."_ he grumbled to himself. Although he wouldn't admit it, it was quite interesting to see those strange weapons again and witness how exactly they were utilized. Petra managed to sense whatever Oluo was thinking about and hit him on the back of his head for the trouble.

"Oi, what the hell was that for, Petra?!" he glared at the girl the same way how Levi would do it.

"I know what you're thinking of, and it's not helping." Petra narrowed her eyes at him, before crossing her arms with a smirk. "At least learn to appreciate what Eren can do. You might learn something new from him one of these days. Besides, I know how much you want to lay your hands on his firearms."

"Tch. That kid ain't better than me." Oluo denied, shaking his head.

"Maybe, but have you even killed a demon before? That's one thing where he's better than you." she pressed on, her smirk becoming wider.

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance, but kept himself composed. "If you're going to keep praising him, be my guest. Although I never thought I'd see you admitting that a kid is better than you, heh."

"At least I can learn more from him instead of being a stuck-up like you."

Before Oluo can fire back at her for that remark, Eren had walked over to the two as he dismissed Yamato from his hand, cutting off the two from another argument. "Petra, Oluo, I thought I'd take a break for a while…" he panted slightly in exhaustion, before wiping the sweat off his face. "Even _I _have a breaking point and by all means, can't fight forever."

"Here, have some water." Petra offered Eren his canteen, to which he gladly accepted.

"Thanks. So what were you two going on about?" the white-haired teen asked, taking a sip from his jug.

Petra was about to answer him, but Oluo figured that this was the perfect time for some payback. "Newbie, Petra here was wondering if you could teach her a thing or two sometimes because apparently, she wants to know how to deal with demons, and the only way she could learn how is from you." he said, pointing to the gobsmacked Petra while grinning innocently at Eren.

"Hey!" she cried out in alarm.

"Really?" Eren said, looking surprised at the very least. Throughout his time here so far, nobody bothered to get in the way of his training, and he did the same with being quiet about it. "I… I mean… I wouldn't mind teaching her…"

"Oluo, stop it! You know that Captain Levi forbid us to bother him about things like this!" she scolded her fellow soldier, unaware of the blush that formed on her cheeks.

"So what do you say, newbie? She's been watching you and haven't you noticed that she always volunteers to see you train?" Oluo walked over towards Eren and nudged him with his shoulder, as his grin became wider. "Petra's grown to like you during your time here, eh?"

"W-What?" Eren stuttered, as a small blush formed on his face. Despite being incredibly dense as hell, the way Oluo was teasing him about it made Eren a slightly bit uncomfortable for his taste.

"Wha—?! Oluo, stop telling him lies!" Petra clenched her fists near her chest as her face turned dark red. "I'm just appreciating what our new comrade can do!"

"Tch. Now it looks like you're trying to be in denial, Petra. Heh, I'm doing you a favor, you know? Didn't ya hear him? The kid would be _more_ than happy to teach you, but just keep your interactions appropriate. The captain would kill you if he finds out you're ignoring your duties 'cause of getting lovey-dovey with the newbie."

"Oluo, shut up before I punch your big mouth!"

Eren sweat-dropped at their little back-and-forth argument, and although Eld had warned him that this was normal between them, he thought of it something childish.

_"And… these are my squadmates… two of the most-skilled soldiers in the Survey Corps, arguing like chil—!"_ Two familiar faces manage to catch Eren's attention, stopping his thoughts momentarily.

"There they are…" Eren mumbled to himself, seeing Armin and Mikasa in one of the neighboring ranches, along with a few other soldiers [presumably fellow trainees] and they seemed to be tasked with feeding the horses to have them prepared for the upcoming expedition. _"I didn't see who else remained that day, but it looks like they really did join the Scouts."_ He said in his thoughts, quickly noticing the 'Wings of Freedom' insignia on the capes that they wore.

Eren felt the need to talk to them, mainly because they weren't able to see each other for three weeks now, and he certainly didn't want their next meeting to be after the expedition, because there was no assurance that that would even happen.

He turned towards his still-arguing teammates for permission, just to be formal about it. "Petra, Oluo." he called out, causing both soldiers to stop in their little banter for a moment. "Do you two mind if I talk to my fellow trainees a bit?"

"Tch… go ahead." Oluo scoffed, knowing that teasing Petra would be useless if the newbie wasn't around, but nonetheless he kept on sending a smirk towards the orange-haired girl's direction, who looked like she was about to strangle him out of anger and embarrassment. "But remember… Petra here wants to learn more from you, so why not give her a chance?"

Eren just gave a quick nod as he turned around and ran towards his friends in the 104th. "I'll keep it in mind, see you back at the castle!" he exclaimed loud enough for his squadmates to hear, completely forgetting the fact that Oluo was teasing him about Petra earlier.

Once Eren was gone, Petra didn't hesitate the punch Oluo at the back of his head, with her fist literally emitting smoke as a tick mark appeared on her face. However, that did nothing to stop the blush that erupted on her cheeks the whole time.

"What the hell was that for?! I told you to stop with those lies! Did you forget Captain Levi told us not to bother him while he was is training?" she asked through razor-sharp teeth.

"Peh… what are you so angry about?" he brushed her off, taking satisfaction in Petra's embarrassed state. "All I did was recommend you to train under the newbie since you wanted it in the first place. He agreed to it, so it's not bothering him in the slightest. You should be thanking me, as a matter of fact. But like I said, keep your actions _appropriate_, or the captain will kill you if he finds out."

"You little…" Petra growled, her patience reaching its boiling point.

* * *

"Hey!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Armin quickly turned his head and saw his best friend leaping over the fences to get to them. He quickly nudged Mikasa with his shoulder, causing her to look at him before he eventually pointed towards Eren's direction.

"Armin! Mikasa!" Eren called out with a big smile as he leapt over the last fence, finally reaching his friends who smiled at him in return.

"Eren, it's good to see you again." Armin said, hugging his friend for brief moment before pulling away.

"Yeah, it feels like it's been so long." The half-demon replied, tapping Armin's shoulder a few times before Mikasa nearly tackled him to the ground in a big hug, as if the last time they met was years ago.

"I'm so happy to see you again," she whispered loud enough for him to hear before nuzzling closer to his chest. It's like her easily-embarrassed self was gone and thrown out the window. Eren could only shake his head and pat the girl's back in return; he couldn't blame her, it's been weeks since they last saw each other.

"Mikasa, it hasn't been _that_ long…" Both him and the girl shared a quick laugh at that before she pulled away with a smile.

"Eren, I…" And now, she was back again to being her shy and embarrassed self, which made both Eren and Armin chuckle. "I… I joined the Survey Corps… to keep my promise…" she spoke, remembering the promise she made to Carla when they were younger.

"I know," Eren smiled. "And I'll keep my end of the deal by making sure you don't do anything reckless like shouting for me to come back from the dead." He said with a teasing grin, causing Mikasa to look at him in shock. She was about to ask how he knew about that, when Eren beat her to it. "Armin told me about that little stunt you pulled in Trost when I 'died', and I have to tell you not to do it again."

As Mikasa hid her face with her scarf out of embarrassment, Armin decided to speak up on behalf of their friend. "I don't think you can blame her for it, Eren. We really thought you died that time… I mean, Krista and Connie were the ones to see you when it happened, and… well, even I believed them until we saw you again."

"Armin, you shouldn't worry that much about me." Eren shook his head but his blonde-haired friend only rose an eyebrow in confusion. "I can't die that easily," he started to explain. "Especially from a simple stab wound by my own sword."

"B-But Connie said that the sword nearly went through you! It might just be because of a miracle that you're still alive now." Armin cried out, with Mikasa nodding simply because the thought of getting impaled by a sword was horrifying.

"You two underestimate my abilities," he waved them off. "Don't be like that, or you'll find yourselves getting more and more surprised in the future. Isn't me coming back from the 'dead', enough proof for you? Or maybe even the fact that I can 'instantly go from one place to another'? I even told you about the Yamato and what it's capable of doing, remember?"

"Well…" Armin looked down, unable to find an answer to that since he knew deep down Eren was right. He was just as worried as any friend would.

However, before he could even have a chance to answer back, their little conversation was interrupted by a few more familiar faces.

"Eren!"

The white-haired teen turned his head to see Sasha, Connie, Reiner, Bertholdt, Krista, Ymir, and the rest of the 21 trainees who chose to join the Survey Corps. He didn't even get any time to react as Sasha gave him a hug as well, catching him off guard that he nearly fell off balance.

"S-Sasha?!" He cried out in surprise, before wincing a bit when he felt the girl hug him tighter.

"Waaahhh, I missed you Eren! I missed eating together with you! I… I had no one to share food with, and… I had no idea what to do with all the ingredients I got! C-Can we cook together again? L-Like how we did back then?" she looked up at the taller boy, and his eyes widened when he literally saw her shedding a few tears. Damn, she really did miss him. Outside of Mikasa and Armin, this was the first time he saw Sasha or any of his fellow cadets ever since the invasion of Trost, so yeah…

He kind of understood why she was being like this.

Back then, during their training days, he considered her as his partner in the kitchen in trying to re-create or improvise the various delicacies that Dante told him about years ago (especially pizza, he still had yet to do that). Sasha had no problem with it since she wanted to get a taste as well, and well, she thought Eren was a great cook in his own right.

"Come on, Sasha. Really? Just because of food, you're clinging on to Eren like that?" Connie remarked sarcastically. But in all honesty, he was surprised with how quick Sasha had changed her demeanor. Ever since making her decision to join the Survey Corps, Sasha always had a fearful look on her face at the thought of seeing _them_ again, especially during the expedition that was a week from now.

Well, that was until Eren showed up.

It's like all thoughts of the titans and even demons didn't matter to Sasha, if the topic involved food.

Weird, but… it works?

Ignoring Connie's little remark, Eren patted her head softly. "Sure we can, Sasha. After all, I still have to complete my mission of making pizza a reality around here." he grinned.

While everyone else became confused with what 'pizza' was, Sasha flashed the biggest smile she had mustered as of late, enough for Eren to actually blush at how cute she looked before turning redder when the potato girl stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, before she pulled away after a full five seconds.

"Then I'll look forward to it, Eren! Maybe after the expedition? Hehe… I can't wait~" she said happily, already thinking of what other recipe the two of them would make, doing a complete 180 from earlier as she skipped off to continue feeding the horses.

"Uhhh…" was all Eren could say, being at a loss for words. It was the first time he got kissed by a girl, regardless if it was just on the cheek, and well… he didn't expect it would happen right now, of all times. Also, why would Sasha even do something like that?!

"Wha…" Connie was the only one to voice out his thoughts among everybody else, but they all shared the same look of shock nonetheless.

Mikasa's eyes widened in shock for a few moments, before looking at Sasha in slight jealousy. _"That… That should've…"_ she tried to argue with herself that it should've been her in Sasha's place, before eventually sighing in defeat. Compared to Sasha's outgoing and carefree attitude (which was similar to Eren's personality in some aspects), she was an introvert and she couldn't even talk properly to Eren without stuttering or blushing madly. The hug she gave him earlier took all of her bravery to do, and she simply treated it as an act of friendship to prevent herself from reacting in her usual way.

She'd have to step out of her comfort zone if she wanted to make a move.

The weird atmosphere among them was cut off when Krista shyly walked up to him while twiddling her fingers. Sasha's bold action was still fresh in her memory, and this made it difficult to even walk up to the boy before her. "Um… Eren…" she called out to him, snapping the white-haired demon out of his stupor.

"Krista?" he asked, turning his attention to the small blonde girl as his face returned to its original color. Good thing, because he didn't want to look red the whole day. "I see you joined the Scouts too." he acknowledged, remembering her words towards him after the disbandment ceremony.

"Of course!" she beamed with her beautiful smile that almost made every boy have hearts for their eyes. "You told me to follow my heart, and I did because… my heart was telling me to follow you here in the Survey Corps. Like I said, I still owe you for what you did that night, so I'll make it up to you, Eren!"

While some of the guys, including Reiner, cursed Eren's luck for earning the affection of the 'Goddess of the 104th', Ymir walked up to Krista and ruffled her hair fondly. "That's my Krista!" she grinned, before turning towards Eren with a disapproving look. "Oi, Yeager. You're lucky, you know? It's not often that she feels indebted to a person, most especially a guy. Don't let this be put to waste. Got it?"

"Y-Yeah…" Eren trailed off, unable to pry his eyes off Krista, particularly her smile. No, this wasn't like with Sasha earlier, where he genuinely felt embarrassed with her kissing him. _"What is this? The way she's smiling… feels strange…"_ he thought to himself, feeling kind of weirded out by Krista's attitude. _"And… why does it feel like… she's stalking me around…?"_

Eren was confused.

There was no way in hell that someone could look _this_ innocent and cute, while stalking someone else in the process. It would be more understandable if it was someone like Mikasa, shy and isolated from others, but Krista… she was the exact opposite.

Yet why does it feel strange? It's like she was hiding something from him, but continues to follow him because of a particular reason. He didn't feel this way around her during their training days, maybe except from the time when she insisted on giving him her bread, only for him to tell her otherwise and ended up eating her own food anyway.

Anyway, he could focus on that some other time, but right now, he had other matters to deal with.

Finally turning towards Connie, Reiner, and the other remaining trainees of the 104th, Eren cleared his mind from thoughts about Krista and her strange aura before speaking. "You guys joined the Survey Corps, too?"

"Yeah." Connie said, although he wasn't proud of it, while the others simply nodded in agreement.

"Then… only Annie and Jean went with the Military Police Brigade…" Eren concluded, remembering the three people who wanted to join the MPs ever since the beginning. "Everyone else either joined the remaining two branches… but since Marco isn't here, I guess he joined the Garrison then."

That was when the half-demon noticed the downtrodden looks on Connie, Bertholdt, and Reiner. This caused Eren to look alarmed as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Uh, did I say something? What are you all sad about?" he asked in confusion.

"Marco's dead." A new voice spoke up from behind him, and Eren turned around, only to be shocked upon seeing another familiar face who was not _supposed_ to be here.

"Jean…?! What are you doing here?" Eren asked, and it took him a few seconds to register what Jean said just a few seconds ago, causing his eyes to widen slowly. "-wait a second… what… what did you just say? You said…"

Jean retained his hardened expression as he knew what was coming next.

"Marco's… dead?" Eren finished, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape in horror. He never knew about this, and Armin nor Mikasa never told him about it. Speaking of which, he quickly turned his attention to his blonde-haired friend. "Armin, why didn't you tell me about this?!"

"I-I didn't know!" Armin shook his head, him and Mikasa looking just as shocked as he was. "I only knew about this just now, honest!"

"Apparently, not everyone gets to have a dramatic death." Jean continuer in a grim tone. "I don't know what his last moments were like… but he wasn't wearing vertical maneuvering gear. He died… whether by a titan or a demon… and nobody was there to see it…"

"Damn it…" Eren cursed in a low tone as he looked down, remembering how he was forced to watch Thomas get devoured by a titan before his eyes, and felt that it was his fault since he could've done something to save him. Now it was happening again, and this time, he felt like a piece of shit for not being able to look out for his friends.

"Don't beat yourself up for it, you were trying to seal the gate when it most likely happened." Jean rolled his eyes at his rival's attitude, wondering why can't he be a little selfish sometimes. Does he really think he has _that_ big of a burden? "Anyway, Eren…"

The white-haired demon looked up as Jean immediately got in his face, now looking conflicted and quite unsure of things.

"I heard that Mikasa almost died while fighting against demons… and you were with her that time…" His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What the hell was that about?"

Mikasa felt the need to intervene and quickly spoke up before something bad happens. "I-It wasn't Eren's fault… I… I just… w-wanted to help him…" she stuttered, only for Jean to send a scowl towards her, much to everyone's surprise and causing the girl to step back a bit.

"I wasn't asking you," he said coldly.

The next few seconds were spent waiting for Eren to answer, as he sighed in defeat and finally began to speak.

"I'm not gonna deny it. Mikasa could've died if I didn't get to her in time," he stated bluntly.

"Eren…" Mikasa tried once again to make him feel better by saying it wasn't his fault, but the half-demon raised his hand up in her direction, as though he already knew what to answer.

"But that was because the demons had overwhelming numbers," he continued in a more serious tone. "Compared to the titans, those pieces of shit from the Underworld can raid what's left of these walls in a single day, and still have enough forces to take over the whole world. Some of them can be killed easily like the scarecrows we fought, but it's their numbers that you should worry about. I need to find a way let soldiers like you be able to fight against them that doesn't involve vertical maneuvering, because our ODM blades are next to useless against their sheer numbers, and it's because I'm the only one with knowledge about demons around here."

"Is that why you have those swords and guns with you?" Armin asked, remembering the weapons that Eren used back in Trost, as well as the newest one that he acquired a few weeks ago.

"Yeah," Eren nodded before he clenched his fists. "Unlike the titans, you need to fight them head-on and they can appear anywhere, even within these walls. I'd say they are more of a threat to the human race than the titans, honestly. For now, if you ever see them, just run and regroup with other soldiers. Don't try to fight them with your ODM gear, even if it does work on them or you'll get killed." He turned his attention back towards Jean. "Is that enough of an answer for you, Jean?"

Jean himself was wide-eyed and went silent as he listened to Eren's explanation, and it took him a few seconds to register everything before he sighed.

"Did you people hear that? I guess this is where we stand." He said towards every other soldier that was present. "This is what our lives, and the fate of humanity ride on. This is what we'll die for… whether you face a titan or a demon… the most possible outcome would be your death."

Eren looked down once again, knowing that Jean was speaking the truth. He needed to find a way for regular soldiers like them be able to fight on par with the demons, because it was his responsibility.

_"Hang on… if I remember correctly…"_ he thought to himself, as a quick but important memory came to mind, causing his eyes to start widening in realization. _"Mikasa was… able to wield Yamato, and… Armin… with… my guns…"_

Then it hit him.

He clenched his right arm that was covered in bandages. _"If they were able to do it, then everyone else as well! I know what I need to do…" _he reassured himself as he began to think of what he should do.

Seeing Eren's state right now made the scarf-wearing girl think he was in distraught over Jean's harsh words. "Jean…" she tried calling out to him. "W...Why are you doing this…?"

"Look, Mikasa…" Jean turned towards her. "Not all of us are ready to die for Eren. All of us should know, Eren included, what are lives are going to be used for. Otherwise, we might hesitate in a time of crisis. But we're looking to Eren to give us something in return, because as he said, he's the only one among us who knows about demons. And then let us carefully appraise its value… so we can decide whether it's worth our lives. So… Eren…"

The white-haired teen was immediately cut off from his thoughts as Jean gripped his shoulders tightly and looked at him with a pleading expression.

"We're counting on you to find a way. You know that can't run from demons forever, we already did that with the titans. And now, we either fight back or die."

Eren was surprised at his rival's change in behavior. It's like he was talking to a polar opposite of Jean, not that he was complaining about. If this had taken place three years ago, he would just carelessly say that he would go live in the interior where the peaceful life awaits him, and then go on to mock Eren for willingly joining the Survey Corps.

Nonetheless, Eren kept his composure and nodded with a determined look. He thought hard about a possible solution to how they can fight the demons equally, and fortunately, he was to come to a conclusion.

All that he needs now are the perfect _circumstances_.

"Yeah, I know… and you can count on it."

* * *

_**Phew, what a chapter! So now, Armin, Mikasa, Jean and the rest of their friends have joined the Survey Corps while Annie went with the Military Police like she said she would. Next chapter, we proceed with the Scouts' expedition outside the walls, where we see the debut of a new titan-shifter, which I'm sure you all know who it is. Just be aware that in this arc, I'll be making some changes from the one in canon, most especially Annie's fate. I have big plans for her, and it doesn't involve her getting crystallized for four years.**_

_**Also, I hope you like the little interactions that Eren had with his future harem hahahahaha. I had fun writing Oluo teasing Petra, as well as the Sasha scene. I hope I didn't make her OOC, because I think Sasha would gladly throw away any negative emotion she has over food. And trust me, if only the titans were food all along, they'd have been wiped out long ago, lol.**_

_**Also, another thing to note is that Eren has suspicious thoughts about Krista! Hmmm, something's going on here… but I believe everybody knows what it is about, fufufufufu…**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


	25. Long-Distance Enemy Scouting Formation

_**Well, looks like I have finally updated this fic! Looks like home quarantine actually helps by giving me free time to write chapters without having to worry about school. Classes are suspended until now, and well, I think it'll be a while before we go back to normal.**_

_**Okay, as promised, now that I've updated this, it's time to get back to The Quintessential Maids! There are still three other quints waiting for their time with Fuutarou, and I can't wait to write for each of them. Perhaps after I do all of them, I'll get back to this because honestly, that fanfic won't take long to finish. I'm just aiming to give a fun twist to the manga and an ending that Negi didn't have the balls to give us, lmao.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan, Devil May Cry, or any of its characters…**_

* * *

**(Year 850, Wall Rose, Karanes District)**

The waiting was finally over. A full month had passed and now, humanity was ready to take its next step in advancing towards victory. It was quite surprising because just over a few weeks ago, countless soldiers were in the fight to decide humanity's fate, defending Trost from the titans. It cost them many lives as a result, but a victory was a victory nonetheless.

The whole formation was ready, and everyone was only waiting for the signal to begin. For the one in command of the whole operation, namely Commander Erwin who was stationed at the very front of the line, he was waiting for the word from the soldiers who were on top of the wall.

Erwin looked at his allies that were with him in place, checking if they had missed something, before looking up at the wall the moment he heard the voice of a soldier on top of it.

"Commander! Almost ready! We led the nearest titans some distance away from the town! No sight of those so-called demons anywhere! Thirty seconds to gate opening!"

The message was quickly relayed throughout the whole line, as everyone waited ominously for those thirty seconds to expire. The reactions were mixed; some [mostly the newly-recruited trainees] were feeling nervous about going on this expedition, while the rest were determined to take humanity a step closer to triumphing over their enemies.

"THIS IS IT!"

"NOW THE HUMAN RACE TAKES ANOTHER STEP FORWARD!"

"SHOW ME WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED!"

Countless soldiers gave their own cries for what's about to come, as those thirty seconds felt like the longest in their lives. Whether or not they would survive after this, it depends on the success and the flow of the whole formation.

Erwin counted the seconds past in his mind, and as soon as it was over, he gave an loud and serious command to set it off.

"Open the gate!"

Almost immediately, the soldiers from atop the wall followed through with the order given to them. Within a few seconds, the gate to Karanes district was finally open and Erwin quickly took charge.

"Launch the 57th expedition outside the wall!" he cried out, as the formation began to set out with the breakneck speed of their horses. "Advance!"

As the whole line of Scouts rode through the abandoned town outside of Karanes, a bunch of scarecrows had appeared out of nowhere from within its streets, enough to attract the attention of a few soldiers in the formation. There was no doubt that they appeared now because there was one who bore the blood of Sparda within them.

"Shit! Those little bugs will destroy the formation if they get caught in it!" Two other soldiers had already flown using their maneuvering gears and approached the location of the demons to deal with the situation.

"Those things aren't titans, so they must be those demons that the commander was talking about!" His companion remarked as the two landed on the ground to face the scarecrows head-on as they were told. "Defend the line to the death!"

Many soldiers caught a glimpse of the scarecrows while they made their way through the place, and needless to say, some of them were already shivering in fear at seeing demons for the first time. Those scarecrows may be small, but their appearance alone was enough to strike fear into their hearts.

"Don't flinch! Trust in the support team and keep going!" One of the officers riding with said soldiers shouted, getting a good look at those demons as well, but remained strong-willed so that the formation won't falter. "Advance!"

This was followed by two other officers who also uttered the commander's cry from earlier, giving the soldiers a little boost of morale from those in command. "Advance!"

"Advance!"

Thanks to the horses' speed, it didn't even take a few minutes for most of the Scouts to get past the abandoned town. As they rode farther from the wall, Eren glanced behind him for a moment with a serious expression on his face, thinking of the soldiers who were stuck fighting in the place so they could advance further. He managed to sense a few demons in the area, but he chose not to do anything about it.

_"The support team will back us up… until we get past the abandoned town. After that…"_ He turned his attention back to the road ahead, remembering what his comrades had taught him during his first week as a member of the Survey Corps. _"...we'll organize into a giant formation to protect ourselves from the enemy."_

* * *

_In a small clearing outside of their base of operations, the members of Levi Squad all gathered to show their newest comrade what exactly they will do when the time for the expedition finally comes. Captain Levi wasn't with them as he had an important with the commander and other officers, so they were left on their own with Eren._

_"Our team, the Special Operations Squad, is right here." Gunther began to explain, as him and the other members of the squad showed Eren a diagram of the formation that they would follow in a month's time. "Standing by in the center, five columns back." He continued, pointing to a particular section near the bottom._

_"That's pretty far from the commander…" Eren noted, seeing that Erwin's placement in the formation was directly at the front. "Is that a good thing?"_

_"It should be the safest place in the battle formation. We're gonna get more protection than even the supply wagons." Gunther looked up at Eren with a serious expression afterwards. "Remember, this short jaunt outside… is just a trial run for the real deal, which is getting you to Shiganshina District. Our purpose this time is to go out a bit and come back intact."_

_Eren stared at him blankly for a few seconds, as a quick memory from the Battle of Trost came to his mind. He remembered how countless soldiers there didn't give a damn for their own lives when he was about to reach the wall and seal it with the giant rock, as long as he would succeed. That was a time when he was allowed to use his abilities to his full extent, and now it made him wonder what would happen if his demonic powers weren't put into play. Would more lives be sacrificed, all in the name of getting him to his house's basement in Shiganshina?_

_"Um…" he muttered, looking hesitant for a second. "I haven't been told yet what to do with my power, if it becomes necessary… like demons appearing out of nowhere, which could mess up the whole trip… aren't we getting a little bit ahead of ourselves…?"_

_Gunther simply stared at him for a few seconds before answering, "Did you understand what the commander meant by what he asked you back then?"_

_"Huh?"_

_Almost immediately, the memory of that morning when the two titan subjects were mysteriously killed came to Eren's mind, particularly when Erwin approached him and asking who did he think was the enemy. It was something that the white-haired demon hasn't figured out up until now, but maybe his comrades had an idea about it._

_He looked towards the other members of Levi Squad and began to ask. "Did you guys understand it? I didn't get it at all."_

_"No."_

_"Nope."_

_"Uh-uh…"_

_Gunther looked down at the diagram and thought hard about it. He didn't understand Erwin's words either, but there must be more to it than what they were thinking about._

_"Maybe there's a purpose to this mission apart from going out and coming back alive. But if so, the commander has decided that it shouldn't be explained to the rank and file. Either way, our duty is merely to head out, and come back. Trust in the commander."_

_Eren could only find himself nodding in agreement. "...yes, sir."_

_"All right, this is far enough." Eld told all of them as he stood up and begun to walk back towards his horse, with Petra and Oluo following suit._

_"Okay… let's head back to the castle." Gunther agreed, rolling the map of the diagram into a scroll before walking towards his own steed, which left Eren sitting on the ground deep in thought._

_He looked down at his right arm, before he clenched his fist slowly. "Trust…" the teen muttered to himself._

* * *

As the whole line finally rode past the abandoned town, Eren looked relieved that there weren't any demons following them, or it would have been a serious problem that he didn't know how to handle. However, it still left him thinking about the danger that lies ahead, as he understood what this formation was all about, and what it was intended for.

"Oluo!" He called out to one of his squadmates. "Do you think my old co-trainees can deal with the titans?"

"What? What the hell have you been doing this past month?!" Oluo said in alarm, staring at Eren in bewilderment. "Listen, you little shit… an exploratory expedition… is all about _not_ engaging the titans!" As he said those words, he unknowingly bit down on his own tongue once again, causing his mouth to bleed and him to cry out in pain. "Ngh!"

* * *

_The newly-recruited trainees of the Survey Corps were all gathered in a small room, much like the classrooms where they used to learn about titans and their nature back when they were still young cadets. Technically, there were going through the same kind of class, but the topic that they were going to learn about was way different than just titans._

_"This is the plan that Commander Erwin devised. Thanks to this formation, our survival rate has increased dramatically._

_One of the squad leaders of the Survey Corps stood in front of the recruits, showing all of them an enlarged diagram that showed a formation of the sorts. He had a white bandana on his head, as well as a small mustache and beard. His name was_ **NESS BLUMENTRITT**.

_"You new recruits have one month to learn this 'Long-Distance Enemy Scouting Formation' back wards and forwards."_

* * *

"Long-Distance Enemy Scouting Formation!" Erwin bellowed, before throwing his right arm out as a signal. "DEPLOY!"

With that, the single line of troops slowly disbanded, with some moving way ahead while two sides went on opposite directions. Only a single line of soldiers remained in the center with a few wagons, while everyone else had their own roles in this new formation.

* * *

_"Soldiers are spread out over a long distance with a semicircular formation in front, but you're spaced out evenly to ensure you can see in all directions. As much as possible, spread out enemy scouting, communications, and the perimeter."_

* * *

Commander Erwin stayed within the center column, along with Levi Squad that was placed not too far behind. After all, within their ranks was a valuable asset that must be protected. Most of the freshly-recruited trainees, however, were stationed on either side of the formation as part of relaying communication to the other columns. Said trainees included Mikasa and Sasha who were part of the left flank, while others like Jean and Armin that were placed on the right.

* * *

_"You new recruits will be right here…" The man pointed towards one of the columns of the right flank, near the very border of the formation. "...in between the wagon support team and the scouting support team. You'll be in charge of communication and keeping pace with the spare horses."_

* * *

At the same time, the veteran soldiers of the Scouts each gave a spare horse to all of the new recruits before continuing on their way. Although they were already occupied with following the formation, the young soldiers gripped the leash for the spare horses tightly, careful enough to not let them run off.

* * *

_"Primarily, it's the enemy scouts in the first column who come into contact with the titans."_

* * *

"Huh?" One of the soldiers in the first column suddenly came to a halt upon seeing something strange from far across the grassy plains.

Upon taking closer look, it was a 7-meter class titan that was no doubt attracted to the humans that comprised the whole formation. It was already heading in their direction, forcing the scout to quickly pull out his flare gun before firing a signal flare into the sky.

* * *

_"Whenever they come across a titan, they'll fire off a red flare."_

* * *

Upon seeing the red flare that was fired in the distance, the soldiers fired one of their own as well. This was reciprocated by everyone that was in the same flank, as a way of relaying the message to the center command.

It wasn't long until Commander Erwin had noticed the smoke flares to his far right.

* * *

_"When you see a flare, you fire off your own to pass the warning. This way, Commander Erwin, who leads from the front, will know the titan's position as quickly as possible. Then, the commander will fire off a green flare. This signal means that the entire camp is altering its camp and heading in a new direction. To inform the whole formation of the direction, everyone fires off a green flare towards the new course."_

* * *

Whilst riding, Erwin fired off a green flare to his left in response to the information they got from the right flank. All of the soldiers that were traversing near the commander did the same, relaying the information for everybody else.

Afterwards, it wasn't just the commander and those nearby. The whole formation had fired green flares to the left, as a message that the whole camp would be altering its direction.

* * *

_"Employing this system allows the company to head for its destination while avoiding contact with titans. See, most titans can't match the prolonged running speed of horses. And when a titan's energy is spent, its movements become extremely sluggish, depending on the individual. However, they're not outwitted like this every time."_

* * *

In the second column of the left flank, Sasha Braus was riding past the remains of a destroyed house, which was a part of an abandoned village in the area. The coast seemed to be clear at first, but when she had noticed what was _behind_ the place with some trees, the girl found herself staring into the eyes of a titan who was strangely lying on the ground as she froze in fear.

* * *

_"Again, titans have individual differences. There are some that can exceed a horse's running speed in short bursts. Or they may be detected too late due to the lay of the land or obstacles… a titan has sometimes made it to the middle of the formation."_ _The squad leader said in a grim tone, clenching his fists he could only remember the few but horrible times that that scenario became true._

_Many of the recruits had gulped in nervousness. There was a chance that titans could slip into the middle of the formation? Just the mere thought of it made them shiver, thinking that they would end up meeting their demise when the expedition happens, despite learning that the whole formation served as a way to increase the survival rate of soldiers when venturing outside of the wall._

_Ness continued, despite the temporary angst he felt. "In that case, the formation is in danger of being divided or even destroyed… of course, heavy losses would ensue."_

* * *

"Ah!" Sasha screamed out as the titan suddenly lunged towards her, landing on all fours as it chased her down. Luckily, she was able to react just in time to go the other way and prevent getting eaten. She started to look desperate as she tried to lose the monster that hungrily chased her down like a rabid animal. "Gotta… Gotta shoot off a red flare!"

"Problem! The scouts missed one!" Two other soldiers had come to Sasha's aid, thankfully, with the one trailing behind firing a red flare into the sky to relay the message.

"Let's lure it over this way!" One of the squad leaders said, keeping his eyes on the abandoned village nearby, before he called out to the recruit in front of them. "Sasha, over here! Ride the other way!" He screamed, causing the girl to turn towards the two other soldiers as they were about to cross paths.

"Ungh!" She quickly obeyed and made a quick left turn, passing by the two and surprisingly getting the titan's attention away from her.

"Over here, asshole!" the squad leader screamed out, trying to get the titan's attention as him and his companion rode towards the abandoned village. Breathing heavily, Sasha could only watch as the other soldier drifted away and went towards another direction, leaving the squad leader alone. "Got you now!"

He quickly slipped in between one of the houses and a large tree, as the titan did the same. However, due to its gargantuan size, the monster slammed face-first towards the base of the tree and its body made an awkward turn before crashing into the house next to it. The squad leader turned around to see if it still had some life, but the titan didn't respond anymore nor did it move from its place.

He regrouped with Sasha and the girl seemed to have calmed down now that that titan was off their backs. "Return to your station. This one's out of juice." he ordered, giving one last glance towards the quadrupedal that remained still.

"Yes, Squad Leader!" Sasha nodded with a smile, feeling grateful for her superior as he most likely saved her life back there. If it wasn't for his quick actions, she may have been titan food right about now.

* * *

_"Now, all of these tactics… only apply to the 'normals', whose behavior is easy to predict."_

* * *

Armin sat on top of his horse with a solemn expression on his face. He held the leash of the spare horse tightly in his hand, looking into the distance as though he was waiting for something to happen. The blonde remained in his place for a few moments, before finally advancing forward. However, his mind seemed conflicted as he thought about the present situation.

_"Strange… it's been a while since the red signal was sent, but the formation is still in chaos."_ Armin muttered to himself, before he continued on advancing forward. However, the moment he took a glance to the side just for good measure, the smoke that was suddenly fired to the sky made him shudder.

"Oh no… t-that's…!" A black smoke flare had been fired to the sky, and the blonde immediately knew what it meant. "A black flare!?"

Reacting quickly, he knew that he needed to relay the message for everyone else but he couldn't but think of the dangers this situation posed for them. _"It's ignoring the humans on purpose and is headed straight to the center of the formation! There's no doubt about it… this one…"_ Armin grimaced, before firing a black signal flare into the sky as well. _"...it's an abnormal!"_

* * *

_The look on the squad leader's face became serious as he slammed his fist into the wall. "When it comes to the abnormals and their unpredictable behavior, there's no choice but to fight!"_

* * *

A six-meter class was running across the clearing where the right flank was supposed to be traveling, ignoring the soldiers that it passed by. Squad Leader Ness was among those people, and that strange behavior by the titan just now was enough consideration that it was an indeed an abnormal.

"Damn it! We've got to kill it to maintain the formation!" Ness drew his blades as him and one of his subordinates chased down the abnormal on horseback. He then called out to his comrade who rode ahead of the titan, even raising his blades as to make his point clear. "Siss! You get the neck! I'll get it to stop!"

"Roger!" Siss raised his swords in return as a means to show that he understood the plan, before keeping an eye on the abnormal solely, so that it won't be out of their sights.

_"Vertical maneuvering doesn't really work well on level ground. My chance of succeeding is extremely low, and I'll be thrown off my horse. Plus I could be separated from my group. Still… I can't let it break the formation. As soon as I bring that thing down, we gotta finish it off!"_ Ness thought, thinking of the risks he was about to face before putting those at the back of his mind for now and turned his attention to the abnormal's vulnerable foot.

He had a duty, after all.

"It's what I taught the recruits… how can I even call myself a squad leader if I can't pull it off?!" He said in determination, before noticing a lone rider in the distance. The soldier was with a spare horse, meaning that it was one of the recruits. "Looks like Armin's over there… I don't want the newbies to have to deal with these things yet…"

Narrowing his eyes, he jumped off his horse and fired his wires towards the titan's heel, before propelling himself to it by sliding along the ground as it ran. Ness grunted in pain as his leg took the brunt force of his maneuvering, but nonetheless, he prepared his blades for contact.

"HUNH!" he cried, lifting himself off the ground and using his momentum to spin in the air with his ODM blades, making a clean cut through the abnormal's heel that it immediately lost balance and fell to the ground. Ness was sent rolling across the ground as a result, but he was able to see that his attack was successful and so quickly called out to his subordinate, "Siss! Now!"

Following his superior's orders, Siss stood on top of his horse before jumping off, firing his gear directly towards the titan's nape. Within a few seconds, Siss had cut through the nape quite easily despite having little momentum, only to land a bit awkwardly afterwards.

From the distance, Armin saw that the abnormal was already beginning to evaporate, which confirmed that it was indeed dead. "Squad Leader Ness! You did it!" he cheered on with a big smile on his face.

"Ow…" Ness groaned slightly, feeling the pain in his legs. "We did it…?" He sighed in relief that the abnormal was one problem fixed, before smiling widely when he saw his horse approaching him. He struggled a bit on getting up from the ground, but was still able to mount his steed properly. "You came back for me, huh…? That's my girl!"

Armin remained in his place, still keeping his eye on Ness and Siss who were recovering from dealing with the abnormal just moments ago. Once they mount their horses again, that should be a clear signal that they can move further onward. "Hm?" However, another figure from the distance caught the blonde's attention as he frowned.

That doesn't go unnoticed by the two soldiers who were once again on horseback and began to travel, only to look behind them when they some giant footsteps that were getting louder in the distance.

"Another one? What the hell are the right flank scouts doing?" Ness frowned, wondering why they haven't received any signal flares when there was clearly a titan heading towards them.

"Well, if it ignored them and is just coming this way… it's probably another abnormal…" Siss concluded.

"Then I guess we have no choice…" Ness quickly renewed his blades and drew one of them out to prepare for another encounter. "Same operation, one more time, Siss!"

"Yes, sir!"

The two soldiers continued to ride forward, noticing that the abnormal's path seemed to be the same as them. They'll let it catch up to them, and they'll quickly apply the same tactic with the one earlier in order to quickly eliminate the possible threat.

_"Still… twice in a row, what lousy luck…"_ Ness thought to himself, a bit frustrated at having to defend the formation against two consecutive abnormals. _"And that looks to be a 14-meter class. This is gonna be tough—?!"_ He glanced behind him to get a good look at the enemy this time, and his eyes widened considerably upon seeing that the abnormal was already behind them in just a short amount of time.

Seeing the abnormal's bizzare speed was enough for Armin to quickly fire a black flare and ride off, while unable to take his eyes off this _strange_ one. _"What is that?! It's moving too fast!"_ He thought, quickly noticing that this one ran significantly faster than any other titan he had seen, whether they were abnormal or not.

The 'abnormal' almost stood at 15 meters in terms of height, while its body figure was a lot slimmer than most titans. Granted enough, its skin was already vastly different compared to other abnormals, looking as though it had purely human muscle as its body. However, the most striking feature of the abnormal should be its short blonde hair, making it look like it was feminine of the sort…?

"No…! They're right in its path!" Armin cried out in fear, seeing how the squad leader and his subordinate were directly in the titan's way, and they could get crushed if they didn't move as quickly as possible.

"Shit!" Siss yelled out loud as him and Ness looked frightened for their lives, for they could get crushed at any second now, now that the abnormal had raised its foot…

"AAAAAH!" Ness screamed, turning to the side enough for him to be safe from getting crushed by a titan foot. Siss did the same, and now they were off the monster's trail, only for the squad leader that it simply ignored them and continue to run ahead. _"It's heading for Armin…!"_ Ness thought, noticing how the blonde recruit wasn't that far ahead of them and could get trampled over if he doesn't do something. He brought out both of his ODM blades and called out to his fellow soldier. "Don't let it get to Armin! Siss!"

"Right!" Already drawing out both his swords, Siss stood on top of his horse and fired towards the abnormal's left shoulder, flying high up so that he could get a clean hit on its nape.

Ness took off from his horse as well, attaching his wires to the titan's nape to ensure that he won't miss as he flew up into the air with his swords at the ready. However, to both him and Armin's [who still managed to get a good look at them despite riding away] surprise, the abnormal managed to catch Siss as he was approaching its nape and crushed him to death ruthlessly in its hand.

"What the…?" Ness thought out loud, losing his focus that he wasn't able to notice the abnormal grabbing his wires. "Huh?" His reaction came too late as the titan threw him to the ground using his own gear, leaving his corpse as a disfigured mess.

The abnormal had also let go of Siss' dead body as both soldiers were dead. Their deaths were too quick for them to even see it coming.

Armin stared at the horrific scene before him, coming to a temporary halt upon witnessing the demise of two of his comrades. However, his attention wasn't on them at all, but rather towards the blonde abnormal that turned its attention back towards him and gave chase.

Letting out a frightened scream, Armin continued to ride forward and avoid getting caught by the titan that was hot on his trail.

"No… it's not… that's not an abnormal! Squad Leader Ness, please tell me. What should I do? What is that?! It's not a normal… or an abnormal!" Armin cried, as he slowly began to put the pieces together. Running so fast to be able to outrun horses, being able to kill humans without eating them, it all seemed too impossible for just _any_ titan. "That one… is intelligent! Like the Colossal Titan… and the Armored Titan… and Eren! Wait a minute… Eren said that he became a titan _once_… but turned back because of him being a demon, so… this one… must be a human in the body of a titan! B-But who…?! Why?! Why would anyone do this?!"

He turned his head behind him, and his eyes widened in fear upon seeing that the blonde-haired titan had already caught up to him.

"This is bad! What do I do?!" Armin yelled in desperation as he turned his attention back to travelling forward at top speed, hoping to avoid the titan behind him at all costs. "I'm gonna die too! It's gonna kill me!"

* * *

In the area where the scouts of the right flank are supposed to be, there were no soldiers around at all. What was thought a squad of troops looking out for titans and relaying the message, was actually a massacre. The whole field had turned into a graveyard for the bodies that lay all over the place.

One soldier in particular, though, looked like he still had some life in him. Still, he would not last. With his eyesight gone due to blood covering his eyes, he wasn't able to even see the titan that grabbed him by his leg.

"S...Somebody… tell the others… right flank scouting squad is nearly… wiped out… A...A female-type… led a horde of titans here…" He felt himself being lifted up and despite his lack of eyesight, the soldier was able to sense that the titan was going to feast on him alive. Not caring about that anymore, the soldier continued to cry out for help, hoping somebody would pick up and warn the whole formation.

"Isn't anybody… left…? The formation… is gonna be destroyed… we'll be annihilated…!"

Those were his last words as the titan's mouth plunged him into eternal darkness.

* * *

_**And that ends this chapter, ladies and gentlemen! The Survey Corps have set out in their expedition, but at the same time, a strange abnormal has begun to rampage through the formation and it seems like it's also intelligent like the Colossal and Armored Titans. Hmm, I wonder where this would lead to… hehehehe… the only good thing is that there are no signs of demons so far, except for the start of their expedition in the abandoned town. But who knows? They might appear sooner or later to stir up trouble like they always do…**_

_**I've updated the list of devil arms that will be appearing in the story, and this time it's final. (Nothing from DmC, I'm afraid. Sorry to those who were hoping for them.)**_

_**TMCTMCTMCTMCTMC**_

_**Eren's weapons:**_

_**Red Queen**_

_**Rebellion**_

_**Yamato**_

_**Devil Sword Eren***_

_**Devil Sword Sparda****_

_**Blue Rose**_

_**Ebony and Ivory**_

_**Summoned Swords**_

_**TMCTMCTMCTMCTMC**_

_**Other devil arms:**_

_**Agni and Rudra - Levi**_

_**Alastor - Erwin**_

_**Artemis - Pieck**_

_**Beowulf/Balrog - Annie**_

_**Cerberus/King Cerberus - Mikasa**_

_**Devil Sword Sparda/Cavaliere/Submachine Gun - Petra**_

_**Dr. Faust/Coyote-A - Connie**_

_**Gilgamesh - Reiner**_

_**Kalina Ann/Double Kalina Ann - Historia**_

_**Lucifer/Luce and Ombra - Jean**_

_**Nevan - Hange**_

_**Pandora/Spiral - Sasha**_

_***I did say that I will be incorporating the Devil May Cry 5 storyline into the story, and for those who have played it, you know what sword I'm referring to and how it was made. All you need is imagination to figure out how will that happen here.**_

_****Again, to those who played DMC5, you know what this means. Don't worry, it's only temporary though, because you-know-what is going to happen.**_

_**TMCTMCTMCTMCTMC**_

_**As you can see, I've taken the devil arms/firearms from across all the games of the original series. How each character will get them is a mystery, but we'll get there either way. Now, before you guys ask, I know about Nero's devil breakers and I want to add them too. But the DMC5 storyline in this fanfic is created in a way wherein it's impossible for him to utilize the Punchline, Ragtime, Tomboy, Helter Skelter, Overture, Gerbera, Rawhide, Pasta Breaker, and the Mega Buster (Dunno if I should include the last two, honestly). As you can see from the * above, the devil breakers will have to be for another time. I'll see what I can do in the final arcs of this story, which should be known to my readers who also read the AOT manga. We have yet to see how the manga ends, so I'm not going to push it and plan everything out right now. Better see how the manga ends first, and only then will I continue planning. I'll be updating my Quintessential Quintuplets after this, so… next chapter might take time. Until then, see you guys!**_

_**Goodbye… and good night! BANG! *too sweet gesture***_

_**-Lance**_


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